Untrusted
by Inner Sanctuary
Summary: My name is Tabea Newhart. I was found in an abandoned Temujai camp, and raised by a band of thieves. I am a thief that is to be untrusted in the eyes of others. Men think women like me are useless. I will prove them wrong. I will prove them all wrong, and that's a promise. Rated T for gore. OC. NOT A FEMALE RANGER FIC. Also, read the updating status I put on my profile please.(:
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_My name is Tabea Newhart. I am an orphan that was adopted by a band of thieves. The leader of the band, Odin, says that they found me in a farmhouse in Araluen. His wife says that they really found me in an abandoned Temujai camp they had looted. They don't know how I got there, and neither do I. I was only a year old at most when they found me._

_My name had been stitched into the blanket I was found in. Odin gave me a new name that everyone is supposed to refer to me as. His wife told me the name I was born with. When we are alone she calls me Tabea, in public she calls me by the name he had given me, Zinnia Swiftfingers._

_ I am a thief that is to be forever untrusted in the eyes of others. I don't know what to think of myself. The band of thieves I travel with is made of men that disrespect me at all times. I am going to prove them wrong. I'm going to prove them all wrong._

"Zin! Can you come over here? We need someone to settle this!" Kaholo shouts over to me. He's the fastest man in our little band of thieves.

"Sure!" I shout back. I walk over to the main tent where we usually plan all of our raids. It's always up to me to help make the final decision, since I can always stay calm and am known to be fair when judging. It's mostly because I am a good strategist though and all of the men in there only know how to act, not think. If it weren't for their lack of brain cells, I would never be allowed anywhere near here.

I am 15 years old now, and I've grown to have a small build. My hair is an auburn brown color, and my eyes are a sparkling blue. My slightly tanned skin itches underneath this dress I am forced to wear. I would trade this for a tunic and trousers any day, but Odin would never allow me to. Wearing a dress is one of the rules that I don't break around here.

"We were thinking about going back to Araluen and robbing a few people in Redmont fief, and we're not sure how to do it."

I widen my eyes a bit in surprise and ask, "Redmont? Are you _sure?" _ It's one of the most powerful fiefs in the kingdom, and it's sure to be well guarded.

"Yes, of course we're sure. That's why we're asking you. Now, should we go in the dark of night or simply in the middle of the day and have you bump into a few people or something?" Odin growls firmly.

I've truly lived up to my name. Everyone in camp knows me, and I've picked up all of their best qualities. I have speed, I am silent, I know how to lie, I can keep a straight face, I can forge documents, I know how to steal (obviously), I am persuasive, and I know how to use a weapon. People always wonder how I know so many skills, but I'm just a fast learner, and I've almost surpassed those who taught me.

I sigh. There's no way to change their minds around here. "I think we should operate during the night. Just sneak in, take their valuables when they're sleeping, being as quiet as possible. We don't want to wake them. That will just cause trouble. We can get there early and pick a few pockets too."

A wide grin breaks out on Odin's face. "I knew we could count on you, Zinnia! We're heading out tomorrow."

"What? We have to plan more; they have some of the best Rangers in the kingdom! You have to have my approval, or-"

"I am the leader of this band Zinnia! You are simply a woman; you have no say in these things!"

I storm out of the main tent and into Odin's tent where his wife, Maria, is waiting for me.

She takes one look at me and asks, "What happened this time?"

"They ask for my help with making a plan and then stop listening! They don't even wait for me to finish, they just listen to the first half and then pretend like they've come up with it! Then when I try to finish they say that I'm just a woman! Then when their plans go wrong, they blame me since I made it. If it goes right, they take the credit. It's just, ughhh!"

"I know, dear. I've been here longer than you, you'll eventually get used to it." She has a faraway look in her eyes, and I know that she's thinking of her previous life. She had been a low dignitary before Odin kidnapped her to be a trophy, nobody had cared. She had many sisters to take her place. Odin married her, and she eventually fell in love with him. It was many years before she became used to it though. She has taught me how to 'be a lady' so that I don't stand out when we go into public. It's hard to have manners when you live among men and you are a thief. I wonder how long it will be before I become used to life here…

"Hello Mrs. Maria. Hello Zin." My best friend, Renny, says from the opening to the tent. He's 13 and small for his age. He could easily pass as an 8 or 9 year old. He's thin, we all are, and he has jet black hair and dark brown eyes. We always use him to target people's feelings so that he can get money by simply begging for it.

"Hey Renny. What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Odin called for you."

I throw a worried look at Maria and follow Renny back to the main tent. He leaves once I'm inside, and I stand tall and proud in front of the men of the group. They have the most important skills in the group, and they're who I learned from. That's also how they got into Odin's inner circle.

"We don't like your attitude, Zinnia." Cadman says. He's who taught me how to handle a weapon.

"What attitude?" I ask sweetly. Persuasiveness is something I also picked up from Maria. I spend a lot of time with her since she is my caretaker.

"You know what we're talking about, girly." Danforth growls. He taught me how to forge documents.

"No, I really don't."

"Stop lying." Valdus says, voice rising as his fist slams onto the ground. He should know that I'm lying, especially since he's the one who taught me how. I'm quickly surpassing him though, he's losing his touch.

"Alright, I do know what you're talking about. I just won't give it up." I might as well give the gig up, they'll probably go after me soon and I don't want to be in a fight with at least 10 grown men. I'm skilled, but my fight training is far from complete.

"Why not?" Odin demands.

"Because you can't force me to do anything."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, because I'm your best strategist. No matter how many men you have, you always come to me for advice on your raids and such. Besides, I could easily let the location of your camp be known to the Ranger's Corps…" Growing up in a camp of thieves, you learn how to make threats.

Their eyes all grow wide. "You wouldn't dare," Odin whispers.

"Oh, but I would."

"Okay, okay, we get your point. We'll let your little attitude problem slide girly."

I smile wickedly and walk back out of the tent. None of them pursue.

A few minutes later Kaholo is running around the camp telling everyone to be ready to move out by tomorrow to raid Redmont fief. I sigh. They never listen.

**_So do you guys like it so far? Who knows where I'm going with this story. I haven't gotten very far in writing it so I don't really know much about it, other than a few major things. I'm babbling... I'm going to stop now._**

**_Well I hope you enjoyed chapter one guys! Add to alerts, favorites, and PM me any suggestions. Don't forget to review!_**

**_Bye!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I can't help but feel uneasy as I walk into Redmont fief, carrying a basket of bread to sell. I feel as if I'm being watched as I bump into people, quickly picking their pocket without them feeling a thing. I keep looking over my shoulder as I walk around, offering people my 'fresh' bread. This game of mine is classic. Right now, I act as if I'm an innocent little girl selling bread while I take note of when they change the guard and whether or not they're sober. Nobody ever bothers to think of a little girl as a threat.

On several occasions I swear I see shadows moving. Shadows that aren't attached to a body. As I reach the jeweler I am constantly checking over my shoulder to make sure I'm not being followed. So far I've made about a royal in all, from selling my bread and picking people's pockets.

I turn back around and head back to the camp. Before I do so, I take a complicated path through the forest and then through a field, just in case anyone was following me.

"So, what did you find out?" Odin asks excitedly when I get back, rubbing his hands together greedily.

"They change the guard every 3 hours. They're all very much sober. The people of the town are innocent and unsuspecting; none of them noticed when I dipped my hand into their pockets."

"Ah, good work Zinnia. That is very useful to know. Oh, everyone is like that to you. You pick pockets like Kaholo over here runs."

I grin. Sure, I hate it here most of the time, who wouldn't? I live in a camp full of men that simply don't respect women. The thing is getting praise sometimes makes me feel as if it almost makes up for everything else.

"We will be moving out tonight. Be ready for it," Kaholo says shortly.

"What?" Not this again. There simply has to be more planning involved in infiltrating a place like Redmont. Baron Arald is no fool; he knows how to defend his castle.

"I wasn't talking to you girl," he snaps. He must be in a really bad mood; he is usually the nicest man here.

"You need me for this."

"You're right," Danforth all of a sudden says, breaking his silence.

My eyes widen a bit in shock; he's usually always against me. "Of course I'm right." I say.

"Yes, I'm quite hungry and I need you here to make me some stew, woman."

They all burst out laughing and I just make a sound of frustration and walk away to look for someone else to do the job. I won't be the one serving those pigs.

"We have to get in and out of Castle Araluen in an hour. The guards will notice us if we stay any longer and we will get caught. The penalty for breaking into a Baron's castle is death, so we just won't get caught. Understood?" I don't know why I keep making plans for them, they never listen but it makes me feel as if I'm a part of something. Even if it is for just a little while.

"Understood," they all grunt.

"Move out," Odin orders, and we all slither out of the trees in the dark of night to our positions.

While Odin's and basically every other man in our little band's favorite parts of robbing a place is hitting anything in their paths, my favorite is changing out of that damned dress and into a tunic, leggings, and boots.

I am the closest to any of the guard stations, and this one is at the main entrance. I wait until I hear the call of a crow off in the distance to pick up a stone, quickly putting it in a sack at my belt. I begin to work my way up the castle wall, completely silent. These men have been on duty for only an hour, they're still alert. I take one arm off of the wall, take the stone out, and throw it well out of the pool of torchlight and wait for the guards to react.

"What was that?" One asks, panic in his voice as he searches the dark for any sign of an intruder. He must be new; any man of experience would never react like that.

"I don't know. Let's go check it out." Another one says, his voice low and gruff.

They take a torch with them and 3 more guards remain underneath the arched entrance, all blocking my way into the castle. I cuss silently and climb higher, until I'm level with the ceiling of their arch. I loom in the shadows and begin to inch sideways, head just barely touching the ceiling. My arms and legs strain as I continue to go to the side. It seems like there's no end to this little corridor.

I eventually get cocky and I near the end of the climb and I don't check to see that I have a good hold with my right foot, causing me to lose my footing. My foot dangles in midair and I panic, using my other foot to try and boost my other exhausted leg up. The stone crumbles underneath my left foot and all of a sudden both of my feet are dangling in midair. I grip the stone with my fingers, holding on for dear life as I kick hopelessly. My heart pounds in my ears and I just hope that the guards can't hear it as well.

The stone that crumbled underneath my foot now hits the ground far below, echoing throughout the small area.

"What? Who goes there?"

My plan has gone terribly wrong.

_**:O What's going to happen? NOOO! DON'T FALL! If she falls she has two options: 1. Break her neck and die. 2. Survive the fall, get caught, and be executed.**_

_**I got a review from someone who noticed a mistake in chapter one. I would just like to thank you for noticing that. I probably should have clarified it. :p In my head I pictured them all in a tent sitting down on like a mat or just the ground since I couldn't really have a table and chairs or anything. Oh and don't worry, I'm not turning this into a female ranger fanfiction. I have to admit, my original idea was to turn it into one but after a bit of searching I found a TON of them, so I decided to not make it one after all.**_

_**Well guys I will be updating every other day.(: Just a little heads up.**_

_**Review, add to alerts and favorites, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!**_

_**Bye!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Their torches begin to sweep around the room, bobbing up and down slowly with their steps. I clutch to the wall desperately, my arms tiring fast, legs dangling helplessly in thin air. My heart is in my throat and my hands are becoming slick with sweat. My fingers get cut on the jagged surface of the rock as I grip it tightly. I try to get a good hold on the stone with my feet, but it's hopeless. My brain has shut down from the panic, and I'm barely capable of holding on anymore.

"Just rats," one of the guards spits after seemingly hours of looking and I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, though.

I calm down enough to figure out how to get my legs back onto the wall and I inch sideways again, serious once more. My brain slowly comes back to life as I plan each and every one of my movements, hoping for it to not end up like last time. I lost enough time dangling there like a fool, I have to hurry it up and infiltrate this damned castle.

I run silently across the castle courtyard, blending into the shadows that are thrown everywhere. I keep running until I reach the north tower where the treasury should be. I pull the door open on silent well-oiled hinges my dagger slides out of its sheath on my thigh and into my hand. There will be guards everywhere, and I only have a tiny dagger. Odin needs to trust me with something better so I can actually stand a chance in a fight; Cadman has taught me a lot with his selection.

The torchlight sends uncertain shadows dancing across the stone walls, working to my advantage. I pad up the winding staircase on silent feet, just waiting to encounter a guard or at least _somebody._

I reach the top floor of the tower where the treasury is located without running into any trouble along the way. I think it strange for a second, but then my greed takes over and it subdues my instincts.

The door gives way with only a small push and I jump back in surprise. I shake my head and almost chuckle to myself. _What am I doing? There's no one there._ I poke it into the room looking for any signs of life and only encounter darkness.

I go down the steps a small way and pick up a torch from its bracket. I jog back up the stairs, eager to see what I can find. I sweep my arm all around the room, ridding each corner of darkness a bit at a time, my jaw dropping a bit more every time I see something new.

The room is filled with gold pieces. They glitter in the light of my torch and I almost stumble backwards. I've never seen this much money, anywhere. I take out the sack Odin had given me and I fill it almost to bursting capacity with golden royals. I pull on the drawstring to close the sack and put the torch out on the ground, leaving scorch marks. They'll find these in the morning.

I begin to make my way down the staircase, returning the torch to its bracket on the way, relighting it with another one a bit farther down before continuing my descent down the stone stairs. I wonder how the others are doing in the castle strong room.

My instincts are screaming that something is wrong about how easy it was to get in and out of here so quickly, but greed overpowers it. I don't care about the money, I care about the praise I will receive from getting it.

I reach the bottom of the stairwell and open the door. I check to see that there is nobody there and then put my dagger back into the sheath. I attach the sack to my belt with a length of string and begin to scale the wall.

When I near the top I wait to make sure that the patrol walks past, run across, then climb down the other side. I jump down at the last few meters and I start running the second my feet hit the ground. The moon is hidden behind a cloud at the moment, and the light from the torches at the top of the wall won't reach this far.

I sprint for the trees, holding the sack to make sure it doesn't make too much noise, and take a complicated path back to camp. I'm not sure why exactly. Paranoia gets the best of all of us.

The camp is quiet, as it should be. If we were to make any noise this late at night we would wake any nearby people. I jog slowly to Maria's tent, coins jingling in the sack at my belt. Nobody comes out to congratulate me, maybe I'm late.

I reach Maria's tent and enter, not bothering to ask her permission for entrance. Our band is a small one, and we trust each other with our belongings. Everyone here knows not to steal from another thief. We have rules, as well and the punishments would be devastating.

"Maria?" I ask quietly, my voice piercing the silence. She's a light sleeper most of the time; it won't take much for me to wake her. I might have woken the rest of the camp by now, though.

I hear blankets rustling and a candle is lit. I turn around to run when I see the face of the person holding the candle, but someone else is blocking my path. I'm stuck here, completely and utterly helpless.

"Hullo," the man answers, voice low and threatening. There's a steely note behind it that scares me, this man won't waver, or even bother negotiating with me. The only words that echo throughout my mind while he stares me down are, _The penalty for breaking into a Baron's castle is death._

_**DEATH? CAN I END THIS STORY SO EARLY? IT CAN'T END THIS EARLY! Or can it? *Fit of evil laughter* :p Oh how I love torturing people with suspense. Well who do you guys think it is? I think it's kind of obvious, but that's just me.**_

_**Well keep reviewing guys! Love getting feedback, it tells me if I'm doing alright or not. Add to favorites, alerts, and PM me any suggestions!**_

_**Bye! *BROFIST***_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"What do you want?" I snap, my voice not wavering either. It takes a lot to shake me up as much as this man has, but I refuse to show my fear.

"It took you long enough to get here, Will," the man says, completely ignoring my question.

"It was hard to follow her. She knows how to throw someone well off of her trail, Halt," the man named Will answers with a shrug.

The names ring a bell, and I take a closer look at them. They both wear mottled cloaks, the sign of a Ranger. Their hoods are up and they cover most of their faces, but the man with the candle does have a beard, whilst the other man does not. The man in the entrance to the tent seems to be younger, as well. I might be mistaken, though. There is very little light coming from the small candle.

"No excuses. You should have been able to track her easily with all of your training."

The man named will opens his mouth to reply, but I interrupt. "Before you two _Rangers_ rip each other apart, do you mind telling me what you're doing here?"

They look a bit surprised, from what I can tell at least since I can see very little of their faces, but Halt answers. "We've known about your little band of thieves the second you all entered the fief. We've been watching and listening, and we made a plan to capture you all. We were watching as you infiltrated the castle, and we had the castle guards take care of your friends."

I panic on the inside, but manage to keep a calm exterior. They've been watching me this whole time, and all the proof they need is currently strapped to my belt.

As if reading my mind, the younger Ranger, Will, takes a knife out of a double sheath and cuts the sack of coins off of my belt.

"So, what now?" I ask quietly, knowing that it's all over. They've got everyone from camp, and now they've got me. I should've known that it was way too easy to get the gold…

"You're going to be spending your night in the castle dungeons," Will answers.

I realize that I still have my dagger on me, and also realize that maybe I don't want to be a thief anymore. Now I'll be hung, and there's no one to impress here. I can finally do something that _I _want. I won't do this because someone else wants me to, or even because they'll maim me if I make a move with it. I'm doing it because I want to.

I pull the dagger out of my sheath slowly, letting them see what I'm doing, and letting them prepare for an attack. They both tense, ready for anything except for what I'm about to do. I throw the dagger onto the ground and say, "Well, what are you waiting for? I don't know about you, but I'm tired and I would very much enjoy sleeping in my suite in the dungeons."

They make me walk in front of them the whole way back to the castle, making sure that I don't do anything stupid. I walk calmly, not even bothering to run. I'm done running from the law like everyone else in the camp. I don't care anymore, if they ask me tomorrow I will tell them everything. Where we stole from, the location of our stash, everything.

When we reach the castle I am standing tall and proud, nothing like how a prisoner should be acting right now. I turn around and ask, "So where do I go?"

"The dungeons," Halt answers plainly.

I contort my face and say sourly, "That's vague."

"It's the perfect way to answer a vague question."

"Fair enough. Which direction do I go in now?"

"I'll lead, you stay in the middle, Halt you stay in the back," Will says. I take note of how he doesn't say, 'Halt, you keep an eye on her.' They know that I can't run from them.

It takes a second for him to get in front of me and to start leading us towards the dungeons.

When we reach the dungeons I look around and I work hard to keep my expression even, I can sense that the Rangers are watching me closely.

Everyone from the camp is cramped into the small cell blocks, which are absolutely filthy. There are about 4 people per cell block even though the band of thieves wasn't very large at all. I look around a bit more and see that there are still empty cells.

"Sorry that we had to go and take up every cell in your dungeon," I say sarcastically to nobody in particular.

"It's no trouble at all, Miss…?" Will asks, waiting for a reply.

I hesitate, not sure which name I should tell them. "Zinnia. Zinnia Swiftfingers." I lies through my teeth, and I'm sure they notice my hesitation. They don't say anything, though.

"Well Miss Swiftfingers, you will be staying in your own luxury quarters." Will says cheerfully.

"Wonderful," I mutter.

We pass all of the cell blocks and eventually reach a room with a sturdy wooden door with a small barred window. A guard opens the door and I walk in calmly, immediately regretting it when a foul stench hits my nose. They close the door behind me and I turn to look at them through my window.

"Thank you, sirs, and I do hope you both have a good night."

They throw back their hoods, faces both deadly serious, and Halt says, "Goodnight to you as well, Zinnia." Then they turn around and glide away silently. I watch from my small window to the world until they round a turn and disappear from sight.

_**Somebody in the reviews guessed right about it being Halt.(: Bro hoof? XD Lol, I'm sorry guys. You know I had to… SERIOUS MODE AGAIN.**_

_**Alright, just a little heads up guys: I'm going to try to bring in random characters from Ranger's Apprentice but I only mentioned Will and Halt in the description of the story because they are the first ones that I had in my unedited version and they're mentioned quite a few times.**_

_**Loving the feedback guys! I do not mind constructive criticism at all, so bring it on! Review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions.**_

_**Bye! CHAIR MODE: ACTIVATED. *BOOP***_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I don't sleep at all that night. I toss and turn, but I can't help but feel guilty for robbing so many people throughout the years. I remember everything bad that I've ever done throughout my entire life, and realize that there was very little good I did. I shake my head to clear the thoughts away. I feel like I should have helped more people throughout the 15 years of my life. I've done absolutely nothing except for steal from hardworking, innocent people.

At the same time that I'm feeling guilty, I have no regrets. It makes no sense, I know, but it's true. Stealing is the only thing I know, and it just feels so right when I do it sometimes. I feel as if I was meant to steal the way I did, as if everything happened the way it was supposed to. Maybe everything did.

Then again, maybe I don't want to be a thief anymore. Maybe I want to change.

In the morning someone knocks at the door, arousing me from my light sleep. I couldn't have been out for more than an hour.

Will and Halt enter the room, hoods down, and I get a better look at them. Will has a stern look on his youthful, freshly shaved face. I can tell that he's seen horrible things beyond his years, but he still has the energy of a young man. He carries a small tray of food in his hands that makes my mouth water.

Halt is much older, and he hasn't shaved from the looks of his greying beard. His aged face is stony and harsh. He makes me nervous. Then again, every Ranger makes me nervous. They're known as sorcerers throughout the land. I'm not sure I believe the legends, though.

"Yes, you may come in," I say sarcastically.

"Thank you so much," Will replies.

I smile sarcastically, get up, and curtsy. "Make yourselves comfortable in my _luxury _quarters that you had been _so kind_ to let me stay in."

"I believe we will. We brought you your breakfast," Halt says, motioning for Will to set the tray in my hands.

They sit down in two small chairs that were in a corner of the room while I sit on my bed, slowly chewing at the stale bread and sipping the lukewarm broth. The broth does soften the bread a bit though. I watch the two Rangers sitting across from me as I slowly eat my meal and they watch me back. They show no signs of relenting and dropping their gazes from me.

I wash down the meal with a few mouthfuls of water and ask, "Are we going to be doing anything other than stare at each other all day?"

"That depends, Miss Swiftfingers. Are you willing to talk to us?" Halt asks, his voice low and rough.

"Yes."

"Then the answer to your question is 'yes.'" Will says.

"Ask me anything, I will answer you as best I can."

"Was this your first castle infiltration?"

"No."

"Where are you from?"

"I don't know."

"What other lands has your little band of thieves traveled to?"

"We've been everywhere. Celtica, Hibernia, Sonderland, Skandia, Iberion, Gallica, the list goes on, Rangers."

"How old are you?"

The question catches me off guard a bit. "I'm 15 years old," I answer.

"How much did you all steal?"

This is how it goes on for hours on end. They ask me questions that are expected to be asked, like those about the rest of the band. Then they slip in a personal question and then go back to the typical questions.

"Where are your parents?"

"What is with these questions?" I ask, my voice rising in volume.

"What do you mean?" Halt asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you asking these personal questions about me? I want an answer."

Instead of answering my question, they just get up and walk out of the room. I make a sound of frustration and start to pace around my prison, trying to get rid of the stiffness in my legs.

Nobody comes to feed me that night, and my little conversation with the Rangers continued through lunch. My stomach growls as I curl up into a ball on the creaky bed and eventually fall into a troubled sleep.

I wake up when somebody knocks at the door for the second day in a row.

I sit up groggily once the door opens and see that it's Halt and Will. Again.

"Hullo again," I say, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Hullo, Miss Swiftfingers, we-" Will begins.

"It's Zinnia."

"Well, Zinnia, we are going to give you some news."

"Good or bad?"

"You can judge that for yourself," Halt growls.

"Baron Arald has agreed to take you into his orphanage as a ward," Will says quickly, waiting for my reaction.

"I may not be an orphan," I say plainly with a straight face. I refuse to even think of the possibility that my parents are dead. Maybe they abandoned me for a good reason. In a Temujai camp, I'm not sure why.

"Well he's still taking you in and you will be put in with the other 15 year olds. We just need your permission. If you don't want to go, then you don't have to."

I take a deep breath in and sigh. "I'll go."

_**Happy ever after? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm evil like that. Well, sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Writer's block sucks big time. I've been wanting to read more than write lately, so this is what happens when I get distracted. I apologize for my short attention span.**_

_**Well review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!**_

_**Bye! BRO DAY EVERYDAY!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Halfway through the next morning Halt and Will collect me from the dungeons and escort me to the castle's orphanage.

"Why are you letting me go? I stole from people. Infiltrating a castle would get me executed." I ask, genuinely curious. Nobody who knew who I was ever trusted me the way they are. In fact, most people who didn't know who I was never trusted me either.

"You are just a child. You did what you were taught to do, the only thing you were ever taught to do. We wouldn't be in the right mind to execute someone like you." Will answers simply.

I sigh with relief, but then realize something. "What's going to happen to the others?"

"They will soon be executed."

"You can't do that!" I shout.

Halt raises an eyebrow. "Can't?"

I begin to splutter over my words and he silences me. "They are thieves and they have been for years longer than you. Your life can still be turned around. Theirs cannot. They have been in that life for far too long to turn back. You are still at the crossroads." He is just becoming repetitive at this point.

I realize that they are right about everyone else. I know firsthand the things they are capable of. But I should help at least one person in my life other than myself. "Maria. There's a woman named Maria, but her real name is Nasrin. She had been kidnapped when she was younger and now she is the leader of the band's wife. She is completely innocent, you can't charge her."

Halt pauses for a moment, probably trying to recall who I'm talking about. He must finally remember her and says, "Why not? She was found in the camp and confessed to being with them. That's enough to at least imprison her, if not execute."

"Because she's a dignitary. From Picta. That's where they found her and that's where she belongs. You can't kill foreign dignitaries."

He ponders this for a moment then says, "They might never find out."

"I may be only a few years into being a thief, but I at least know how to make a quick escape. You even said that I know how to keep people off of my trail. I can steal a horse from a village and ride to Picta to tell them about what you've done. That will give them a reason to go to war with you. God knows that they are looking for an excuse right now."

They know I'm right, the Scotti are anything but peaceful, but they keep straight faces. They exchange a glance and then Will says, "Fine. We will release her."

For the second time I sigh with relief and say, "Thank you."

"We're here." Halt says, not acknowledging the gratitude in which I am expressing towards them. I actually prefer it this way. I never enjoyed having people acknowledge my gratitude; it made me feel like they were rubbing it in my face.

He opens the door and leads me into the castle's orphanage. A middle aged woman sits at a table, writing something down on the clean sheet of parchment paper. She looks up and smiles. "Will Treaty, Halt Carrick, what a wonderful surprise."

"Hullo Devera. We're here to drop off your new ward."

"Okay, how old is she?"

"Fifteen."

She looks shocked, as most people do when they find out my age. My small demeanor usually attracts that sort of response when people learn my age. "But it's so close to Choosing Day!" Maybe it's not my size that shocked her, after all.

"She will adjust quickly," Halt says in a commanding yet quiet voice.

"Well, okay then. If you insist. Come on dear, I'll show you to your room." Her lips are pursed together in a perfectly straight line, making me wonder if she does so often. Maybe she even practices in a mirror because it seems unnatural how straight it is. Maybe it's just me.

I give Will and Halt one final look and follow the woman down several hallways and commit the path to memory without even giving it a second thought. After so many years of doing so, it becomes automatic.

"This is where you'll be sleeping. Don't bother me," she barks, pointing at a closed door, and then leaves. I stop myself from pursuing her and think about what just happened. She was only nice in front of the Rangers, but now that they're gone she will probably make this a very unpleasant stay. I kind of feel the urge to pursue and hold her against a wall by the throat; see how nice she is _then_.

The door behind me opens and boy my age steps out. "I told you guys I thought I heard the hag's voice out here." He says over his shoulder. He's tall but he's got a thin frame. His hair is a dark blonde and he has striking green eyes.

"Hag?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea, Devera, she's a hag wouldn't you say?" Another boy opens the door wider and reveals himself. He is shorter than the other boy and is a bit pudgier. He has dark hair and dark eyes that stand out against his pale skin.

"Yea, I'd have to agree with you on that one. I'm Zinnia," I say, offering my hand. I told the Rangers that name and I will stick with it.

"I'm Oliver, this is Grant, and that's Plubio." He says taking my hand firmly in his then gesturing to himself, the blonde boy, and another boy sitting on a bed reading a book in Gallican. 3 other beds are currently empty.

"It's a pleasure meeting you all," I say smiling.

"The pleasure is all ours," the boy named Plubio says sarcastically from his place on his bed.

"Sorry about him, he's kind of, well, moody," Oliver says apologetically.

"No need to apologize; I don't mind. I'm just going to warn you that I can be a bit sarcastic myself."

"Bet she doesn't even know what 'sarcastic' means." I'm getting tired of Plubio's voice very fast.

I ignore him as Oliver and Grant shoot him dirty looks. "Why don't you come in?" Grant says politely.

"Maybe we could learn a bit about you." _Learning more about me_… I get a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach as I think it through. I don't feel very much like repelling everyone away for my whole life. Having a friend my age has never been an option with the life that I had previously led. I so desperately need a friend right now.

"No thanks. I should really meet the people I'm going to be sharing a room with." I lie through my teeth; I honestly don't want to go to my room right now. I just need an excuse to get me out of here, and fast.

"Alright, see you later then?" Oliver asks.

"Sure."

"I hope not," Plubio mutters.

"That book is incredibly boring, Plubio. Might I suggest something that doesn't have to do with the history of anvils?" I ask, waving over my shoulder and closing the door behind me.

I knock on the door across the hall and a girl answers the door.

"Are you lost?" She asks.

"No, I'm supposed to be staying here. I'm a new ward."

"Oh. Well, come on in." She says sounding a bit surprised. She tucks a lock of her curly blonde hair behind her ear and opens the door wider for me. The room is fairly small, but it has a cozy look to it with a table, a window, 4 dressers, 4 nightstands with candles on them, and 4 beds.

"Who was it Abigail?" A girl lying on a bed throwing a ball into the air asks, looking bored.

"Our new ward. What's your name?"

"Zinnia. Zinnia Swiftfingers."

"A new ward? It's Choosing Day next week. They can't have new ward this late." The girl says, contorting her freckled face. Her straight jet black hair falls messily all around her head.

"Well they do this year, Ava," Abigail says with a shrug.

"So what's your story, Zinnia?" Ava says, propping herself up on her elbow.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you here? My story is that my parents died in a fire. Abigail's parents went into the woods and never came back. What's your story?"

I make a split second decision and stare at the ground, trying to look upset. "I-I'd rather not talk about it."

Abigail immediately goes to comfort me and says, "It's alright. You don't have to if you don't want to." She seems genuinely caring and I take an immediate liking to her.

I nod and someone knocks at the door. Abigail sighs and goes to open it once again. Oliver's head pokes into the room and he says, "The guys were wondering if you all wanted to mess around outside…?"

"Well, Zinnia is kind of-" Abigail starts.

"Maybe it could get my mind off of a few things," I cut her off. Oliver looks utterly confused but Abigail just shrugs as she opens the door to leave. Ava rises from her bed, hair slightly tousled, and heads for the door as well. I simply follow and think, _Maybe I __**can **__have a normal life after all. _I shake my head as I realize that that is simply wishful thinking. I will never have a normal life after being raised so crudely.

_**Sorry that I'm introducing like a bunch of characters so suddenly, guys. Especially with no emotion, but I did kind of imagine her as calm, cool and collected. Not one to really freak out with emotion while meeting someone new. My work hasn't really even met my standards lately, so I think I will be redoing chapters that aren't satisfactory.**_

_**Well please review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions you might have. Thanks!**_

_**Bye! FOR OPRAHHH!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"That was fun," I say, collapsing onto my back underneath the shade of a tree.

"Probably because you beat us all," Abigail says, giggling as she sits on a stone bench a short distance away.

"I played as a kid," I say simply.

"We all did, but we never got that good," Grant says laughing, legs swinging above my head as he sits on a branch in the tree.

I just laugh the praise away and soon we're all laughing, faces red from the exertion of the game. Well, almost all of us.

"You know, there's something wrong with you." Plubio snaps, staring at me with hard eyes.

I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "And what might that be?" I try to keep an even tone but my voice trembles slightly. So much for keeping an even tone.

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find out. You can bet on it, new girl." He storms away and the sinking feeling grows. I look around and see everyone staring at me, at the terrified look on my face.

"Oh no, he's going to find out the name of my dog when I was seven!" I say, trying to use the terrified look to my advantage. Everyone starts to laugh again, a bit uneasy this time.

"Don't worry; he's been going mad for a while now." Oliver says, voice still a bit worried.

"I can tell," I say distractedly, staring at Plubio's back as he leaves the courtyard. I have a feeling that I will be seeing more of his back than his face.

That night after dinner I go back to the room alone. I wasn't that hungry in the first place, so I had finished early. I sit on a bed in the corner of the room and watch as the sun sets on the horizon, far off in the distance. The door opens long after it has set, but I still sit and stare out the window.

"Hey, since it's your first night do you want to wash up and change first?" Ava asks, plopping down on the bed I had chosen.

"Sure, I could really use it. But I don't have any spare clothes…"

"Check your dresser. It's full of girl's clothes for you, all standard issue. That's why Abigail and I match." This is the first time that I've noticed how they are wearing the same clothes. Now that I think about it, all of the boys were wearing the same clothes as well.

"Oh, thanks. Where do I wash up?"

"At the first door on the right, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," I say and retrieve a nightgown from the dresser. I head down the hall and wash up quickly; I slip into the ill-fitting nightgown once I'm done. Once I return to my room Abigail leaves and I brush my wet hair, looking at my reflection in the mirror on top of the dresser. A scared, lying little girl stares back at me, a malicious, bloodthirsty look in her eye. I'm not surprised at all; I've never done anything good to prove my reflection wrong.

I burrow into the soft bed, burying myself in the thin sheets as best I can, trying hard to forget the troubles of the day.

* * *

"Hey, Zinnia, wake up!" Ava whispers into my ear, shaking me by the shoulder slightly.

I groan, not wanting to wake up, and finally muster up the strength to pry my eyes open. It's still dark outside.

"What's going on? It's the middle of the night."

"That's exactly why I'm waking you up. You have to pass our initiation ceremony." Her whispers radiate excitement.

"What initiation ceremony?" I say loudly. She immediately slaps her hand over my mouth, silencing me.

"You'll see." She says mysteriously, which earns quite a few muffled cries from me. She and Abigail pull me into a sitting position and tie a cloth around my mouth to keep me from screaming. It's loose and sloppily tied but I don't work it off; I'm curious as to see what they're going to do.

"Please don't make it any harder than it is, Zinnia. We all went through this." Abigail whispers while opening the door to the room. Oliver, Grant, and Plubio wait outside with a small sack of belongings. Oliver and Grant look extremely worried and unsure of themselves while Plubio is looking quite excited. Oh goody.

Ava and Abigail hand me off over to Oliver and he grips my arm tightly. "Nice seeing you, too," I say to him, but my words are muffled by the sad excuse for a gag. He throws me a worried and confused look, and then starts following the others through the dark corridors. He throws me worried glances several times, but looks straight ahead for the most part. He never meets my gaze directly.

We reach a pigsty and Plubio stops all of a sudden and so do the others. I keep going for a bit more, but Oliver pulls me back a bit. I just shrug and Plubio starts talking.

"Zinnia. It is your turn for your hazing ceremony." Oliver removes my gag so I am able to talk, so I do.

"Great, but I don't know how to create haze so have fun trying to explain it to me."

He gets an agitated look on his face that makes me smile. "You know that's not what I meant," he growls.

"Actually, I did and still do think that's what you meant. Am I wrong?" I ask innocently.

"Dead wrong…" He mutters under his breath, which I choose to ignore. "You know what? Just throw her in there and we'll go from there." He says to Oliver and Grant.

"I don't feel like meeting your family, Plubio. Could we do this some other time maybe?"

"Shut up!" He barks and I know that my words have cut deep. He knows for sure that he's an orphan, and he knows that he has no family. I feel like apologizing for a second, but I vote against it. I didn't ask for them to drag me out here in the middle of the night, why should I be nice about it?

"You should have thought of that when you got Oliver to take my gag off."

He makes a loud sound of frustration and comes over to pick me up himself. I'd say he's strong, but I'm not very heavy. I yawn and he just gets even worse. He tosses me into the sty and I land face first in the mud. I don't even want to think what else might be in the mix… I quickly get into a standing position and wipe it off of my face as best I can.

"You have to stay there for the rest of the night and sneak back into the orphanage without Devera noticing in the morning." Abigail explains, her voice quivering a bit.

"I don't think she can do it. Look at her, she's scrawny and probably can't do anything." Plubio says arrogantly, turning his back on me and starting to walk away.

Anger boils up inside of me and I shout, "I will do this, just you watch!"

He waves over his shoulder and I feel like jumping out of here and punching him, or at least dragging him back here and burying his face in whatever this is.

"Zinnia, we'll see you in the morning, okay?" Grant asks, interrupting my thoughts. I just give him a nod of acknowledgement and they all hurry to follow Plubio.

I wait until they are all out of sight to say, "Pfft, as _if _I'll stay here all night…" I plop down in the mud and watch the position of the moon overhead. Time passes by ever so slowly, the minutes dragging on and feeling like hours. After what I know to have actually been about 2 hours or so but felt like much more, I get up and climb out of the pigpen. I am coated in a thick layer of mud so I listen closely and hear water running nearby. I follow the sound and soon find a stream where I submerge myself, and wash off the muck.

I wring out my hair and nightgown and head back to the orphanage as quietly as possible. When I finally do reach it I walk around the building for quite a while, looking for an open window. Unfortunately, there aren't any so I settle for the back door. I open it just a crack and when I see nobody around I slip in and close the door softly behind me. I use one of the paths I memorized so far and somehow find my way to the room I share with Ava and Abigail. The corridors aren't lit at night so it's difficult, but I manage by touching walls and counting my steps. I go into the washroom and find that a candle is lit in here, so I wash the stench off my body. Once that is done I silently enter my room and change into a clean nightgown, then slide into my bed. Ava and Abigail are fast asleep, and they don't seem to notice me. I smile as I turn onto my side to face the wall. _Fools._

* * *

**_I am SO sorry for not updating in such a long time, my laptop just got fixed (I had to get help from my dad since I have no idea how to do that sort of thing.) Well, that plus I have school and my teachers think that the first few days of school are amazing times to give out projects and other homework. Especially my algebra teacher... Enough of my excuses, I'm putting myself to sleep._**

**_Please do review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. It is greatly appreciated!_**

**_Alright, thanks! Bye guys!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The next morning I wake up at the crack of dawn and go to clean myself before anyone else even wakes up. I change into a grey woolen tunic and brown leggings I found while digging through the dresser and go back to my room. I use the hairbrush the orphanage had been _so _kind to give to me and brush through my wet hair, removing any tangles left behind. It feels just amazing to be clean after being coated in mud for a few hours.

I sneak out into the courtyard and simply sit on the grass, enjoying the sunlight and the lack of other people around. I close my eyes in bliss but I listen carefully for any footsteps. I don't appreciate people sneaking up on me.

When I hear quiet footsteps in the grass and I turn around to see Plubio walking up behind me. I don't protest as he sits down next to me but I watch him like a hawk as he does so. He simply stares ahead, so I eventually do the same.

"We need to talk." He says eventually.

"No, we _need _to breathe, eat, drink, and sleep. There is never a need to talk." I say in a matter of fact tone.

"I know what you are," he says quietly.

"And what exactly am I?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"A thief. A dirty, lying thief."

"Having to stew in a pit of mud all night does tend to make one dirty."

"That's not what I meant. I went to every man in town and asked about you. Eventually a Ranger approached me and told me what you were. What you _are._"

"Good job for figuring that out. I'd give you a pat on the back but you would probably be afraid that I would steal something from you."

"My parents were killed by thieves. I don't enjoy being around the likes of you."

"Then why exactly did you follow me? That seems quite foolish to me."

He falls silent and eventually says, "I can reveal you to everyone. Nobody will trust you anymore."

"But you won't. I know that you won't."

"How can you be so sure?" He says, moved to anger.

"Because you're not one to tattle. I've been watching you all and I have a pretty good idea of what you're all like." It's true. I had been observing their behavior yesterday subconsciously and deep down I know what I'm saying is the truth; he won't tell anyone.

He simply scowls and stalks off and I smile triumphantly. I stay outside for a while longer before I go back to my room and Ava starts questioning me.

"Where have you been?"

"Out trying to wash the stench of pigs off of me while you were staying in here all nice and cozy." With that I turn on my heel and leave the room, almost immediately after entering it.

* * *

I don't run into any trouble for the next week. I learn a lot about the other wards as they open up to me a bit more. Abigail wants to be apprenticed at the shoemakers while Ava wishes to be apprenticed at the jewelers. The only person who tries to deny my very existence is Plubio; I can't say that I mind. Whenever I talk to him he just gives short answers and is always whispering obscene words under his breath when he thinks I'm not paying attention. I try to avoid him as much as possible, but it's difficult since his room is right across the hall.

We all grow closer in that week. Everyone is extremely nervous, and therefore more willing to talk. Oliver wishes to go to work as a messenger, while Grant is dying to work in the castle's stables. I still don't know where Plubio wishes to be apprenticed. I myself don't know where I would like to go. I guess I would go anywhere that will take me.

The night before Choosing Day everyone gathers in a field outside the castle, even Plubio.

"Want to play a game?" Plubio asks all of a sudden. Right now we're all just trying to get our minds off of what will determine our lives from now on. He's not the most well liked person here, but the others tolerate him. I'm actually quite surprised that he's even talking; usually he's silent and an outcast among the other wards. I can't even believe that they followed him during my 'initiation.'

"Sure," Oliver answers, leaning in eagerly. From what I've learned in the past week, he's extremely energetic and athletic. His build suggests that he already runs a lot, so it matches him perfectly.

"What's the game?" I ask. It's the first time I've talked to Plubio in a few days; we're both getting better at avoiding one another.

"It's a fun one, trust me. I simply dare you to do something and you go do it, unless of course you are too _cowardly_."

Nobody calls me a coward. _Nobody._ "Game on."

"I dare you to run to the Ranger's cabin and all the way back," he says probably thinking highly of himself.

"Deal," I say simply, beginning to stretch so I would be able to sprint. I remember the path to the Ranger's cabin; it won't be a very challenging run.

"I didn't finish!" He says in a hurried voice, probably thinking that he should try to make a coward of me. "You have to not get caught."

"Alright. Can I go now?"

"Do you not understand what I'm saying? The _Ranger's _cabin. Rangers are _sorcerers._ You should be shaking with fear!"

"No, I'm not. If the roles were reversed _you_ would be shaking with fear. I'm no coward, so I'll just be going now." I rocket off to the woods where I know the Ranger's cabin is located. I haven't had the chance to go out into town since I was thrown into the dungeons, but I had been sent out as a scout and memorized the location of mostly every building before the band had been imprisoned. We were no fools. Most of the time.

I run past people going about their own business and eventually the tree line comes into view. I run past them on silent, light feet and the cabin comes into view. I run up to it, touch it, and start to make my way back. Well, until an iron grip locks around my wrist. My heartbeat quickens and a feeling of dread sinks into my heart like a dagger.

"What do you think you're doing, Zinnia?" Will says, his voice relentless.

I stop dead in my tracks and pull my wrist free in one jerking movement. "Completing a dare," I answer nonchalantly, crossing my arms and taking up a relaxed stance.

"You shouldn't have left the orphanage," he growls.

"I shouldn't have done a lot of things."

"Go back to the orphanage. Now. No more running off, especially tomorrow at Baron Arald's office. Hurry along." He pushes me in the direction of the castle roughly and I don't question it. I don't need anyone to tell me twice to ever leave. I don't look back as I sprint away from him, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. Once I reach the town I give a sigh of relief, knowing how lucky I was to have gotten away with no penalty. In that short conversation my heart had wanted to break out of my chest and run away, much like myself.

People begin to watch me as I wiz past them, but other than that don't really give me a second thought. I reach the field and stop dead in my tracks when Devera comes into view. Plubio is standing next to her, smirking, and everyone else is deadly silent, heads hung in shame. I slowly jog over to them, a look of genuine curiosity on my face.

"We tried to stop him from going," Grant says quietly.

"It's okay. I can handle this," I whisper back to him.

"Ask her where she went! Ask her where she went!" Plubio says, absolutely shaking with excitement. I suppress the urge to break his nose. I may lack the upper body strength to hold myself up for a long time, but I can still throw a decent punch.

"Where did you go?" Devera asks tiredly.

I glare at Plubio and answer, "The Ranger's cabin, ma'am."

"What?" She shouts, eyes widening in shock.

"Did you not hear me the first time? I said the Ranger's cabin." I say slightly louder, mocking her slightly.

"I didn't authorize you to go there!" She barks.

"So you didn't. What about it?" I ask, drawing my voice out a bit.

"You can't go anywhere without my permission," she growls.

"I didn't need your authorization to go into this field, and neither did any of the others."

She starts babbling a string of unintelligible words and I smirk, knowing that she can't beat me verbally.

"You're lucky Choosing Day is tomorrow or I would make your life very miserable."

"Devera, dear, it became miserable the day I met you."

She glares at me and spits. "No craft master in their right mind will choose you tomorrow, girl." Then she stalks back to the orphanage, grumbling a long string of cusses.

When she's out of sight Grant says, "Zinnia! I didn't know you had it in you!"

Plubio glares at me then adapts a worried look on his face, finally resigning to run off towards town. I watch his retreating form for a while then finally ask, "Had what in me?"

"The guts to stand up to Devera like that, or to go and touch the Ranger's cabin! I can't believe you actually did the dare!"

"I didn't complete it. I got caught." With that I walk off towards town, finally deciding that I want to know what got Plubio so worried.

I wander all around town, looking for any signs of him. I pass by the shop of the town's blacksmith when I hear his voice.

"-But you've got to take an apprentice! I've wanted to do this my whole life!" Plubio's voice comes from a room in the back where they probably smelt the ores and such. I walk silently into the front of the shop, trying to listen.

"Sorry, but I don't have any positions open kid. Hey, they're always looking for a position as a laborer in the fields." The gruff voice of a man who is probably the master blacksmith here reaches my ears.

I walk to the entrance of the back room, peak my head in and say, "Excuse me?"

Plubio freezes, back turned to me and slowly turns around. His face drains of all color. "Zinnia? What are you doing here?" He whispers furiously.

I ignore him and say to the well-muscled man who I presume is the blacksmith here, "Sir? I do believe that maybe you could find a position for him, maybe?"

"None open, girl. Besides, this is none of your business. This is for men, not puny little girls."

I calm myself down, something that I'm very much used to doing. You would think that I was used to being underestimated just because of my gender by now, but it's impossible for me. "Sir? I am sure you could find one if you looked. You wouldn't want to overwork anyone here if it's a busy day. Besides, you don't even pay apprentices. I'm sure you could use an extra hand around here." I say, trying to keep my tone even through gritted teeth.

"Girl, I said this is a man's business. No need to go sticking your little nose into it. Now run along, you're making me mad."

"I have a name, you know. It's Zinnia, and I would very much appreciate if you used it. By the way, I don't see any other people working around here, so I'm guessing you're running low on people to help you. You could very much use an extra hand around here. Like his. Besides, I don't see why you shouldn't pick him. He seems to have the strength needed for this, as well as the ignorance. You two are a perfect match."

"Zinnia, I don't need any help. Besides, you're not even helping! You should go, you don't want to make him angry!" Plubio says, voice rising in panic. He must really want this job. His face shows suspicion, and I know what he's thinking. _Why are you helping me?_ I shrug. I myself don't even know why I'm doing this; it just seems to annoy him that I'm here.

"Do you really want to be apprenticed here boy?" The blacksmith all of a sudden says, eyes locked on me.

His question catches Plubio off guard, but he answers, "More than anything sir."

"Then act like it, and fight for it. You won't have people like her doing that for you your whole life. She's a fighter, and I like her spirit. I'm not sure if I even want you as my apprentice here as much as I want her, but I will be there tomorrow for Choosing Day, and I very well might pick you. Now get along, both of you before I truly get mad."

"I would say it was a pleasure, but it truly wasn't." I say, smiling.

"I would as well," the bulky framed man answers, turning around. I have a small feeling that he is smiling.

"Come on Plubio, dear," I say mockingly. He's just standing there gawking at me, so I walk into the room and grab his arm, dragging him along with me.

"Wha-? How?"

"Don't ask. Go find the others and just stay with them or something. Tell them I'm still going to be on a walk."

"I'll do whatever I so desire," he says stubbornly, his wits slowly returning to him.

"Whatever. Just don't go freaking out around the town because you going to be apprenticed to the blacksmith. That will tell people something about you."

I begin to walk off but he decides to follow me, matching me stride by stride even though his legs are much longer than mine. He's got about a head or two on me and is broad shouldered. He seems like the blacksmith already, if you ignore the fact that he doesn't have all of the muscles yet.

"Why did you do that?" He asks, his voice gentle. Soothing, even.

"I don't like owing people. You're keeping my secret, I'll help you get an apprenticed to a blacksmith whom you've wanted to be apprenticed to 'your whole life.'"

He is quiet for a while and I savor the moment, knowing that it won't last long. "Where do you want to get apprenticed, Zinnia?" He knows that I won't be holding a grudge about him making Devera go after me. She doesn't scare me in the slightest, so I don't see why I should hold it against him when it's her that I hate. He may have brought it onto me, but he only sped up the inevitable. I would have clashed with Devera sooner or later.

I laugh on the inside, being right is a wonderful feeling. My facial expression stays stern as I answer, "I don't know. But if I _did _know, I wouldn't be telling you so you could help me and make me owe you again. I don't like debts."

He mutters something meaningless under his breath, so I just begin to ignore him once again. I speed up a bit, but he notices and falls into step once again. I just really want him to go home, but I know he won't leave. He's too stubborn for that.

"Are you scared for Choosing Day tomorrow?" He asks me.

"Can you shut up? I'm trying to think, to maybe sort things out in my head."

He stays silent, so I just keep walking. When I realize that we are about 50 meters into the woods I turn around and make my way back, Plubio following.

When we reach the door to the orphanage the sun is slowly making its descent to the horizon, so the light is uncertain. I open the door and walk into the candle lit room where I first met Devera. She is at her desk and looks up when we enter. She glares at me but otherwise stays silent. Oil lamps light the room and the hallways, so I find my way back to my room easily. The second I cross the threshold Ava immediately starts blabbering away, working up a storm of words.

"Slow down, there Ava. I can't understand you." I chuckle and she slows down immediately.

"Did you hear? Did you hear?" She sounds like an impatient 6 year old, jabbering on and on. I don't even think she stops for air.

"Hear what?"

"The Rangers caught a band of thieves a few days ago. They tried to infiltrate the castle, but they were caught! They were tortured for a few days and executed this morning!"

* * *

_**AVA. THAT IS NOT GOOD NEWS. -.-**_

_**Sorry about things moving a bit fast in this chapter, I just really haven't had the heart to add a bunch of detail or stretch these events out. I've been apologizing a lot lately... Well I updated today because I felt bad about not updating for such a long time that I felt like adding a longer chapter. :D**_

_**Review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!**_

_**Bye!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Isn't that great?" She asks excitedly after I don't respond.

"Yea. Great." I mutter halfheartedly, burrowing into my sheets, trying to look for comfort and warmth in them.

I toss and turn in my sleep, knowing that the people I grew up with are all dead. Kaholo, Odin, Danforth, Cadman, Valdus. All gone. Their faces haunt my nightmares, and I stay awake for as long as I can for fear of seeing the faces of dead men that I had used to banter with not long ago.

* * *

In the morning we all head off to Baron Arald's office for choosing day. Dark circles are very much visible underneath my eyes. Despite my sleep deprived state, I move around energetically so it doesn't show. I bounce into the office and see the Baron for the first time. He is a surprisingly fit man for his age, which I am guessing off of the many grey hairs on his head. I take a look around the rich room, which seems quite small for a man of his position. I take into account the craft masters around the room. There are 7 men and only 1 woman among the craft masters, and I watch them all closely. The woman is dressed in a beautiful white dress, the sign of a courier. I see the blacksmith and a man in half armor who I suspect to be the master of the battle school. The rest of them I would be guessing on completely.

"Good morning, wards. Today is choosing day! Let us begin with one of my famous speeches!" I hear a groan and look around the room, trying to see who would groan at the mention of the fief's Baron giving a speech, and catch sight of Halt, Will standing next to him. They seemingly meld into their surroundings with their mottled cloaks on. "Is there a problem, Halt?" Arald asks.

The courier gives him a look and he says, "No, Arald. No problem at all."

"Well, alright then. I would like to begin by saying…" I listen attentively as he drones on with his little speech, and grow tired of it quickly but don't stop my attentive look. Now is not the time to be my normally sarcastic self.

"… And now it is finally time for our craft masters to choose their apprentices. I'm sure we all are acquainted with one another, so we will skip to the apprentices making their first choice."

"Sir?" I ask from my place in line.

He seems surprised to see someone asking a question already, but then understanding comes across his face. "Ah, you would like to go first wouldn't you? Go right ahead, young lady."

"Um, no sir. That's not it. I got here a week ago and I haven't gotten to explore any of my options as an apprentice. Would it be too much trouble if I asked for you to introduce the craft masters?"

"Oh, of course, you're the new ward from the- well, you know what I mean. Well I'm sorry my dear, of course." He goes through the names of all of the craft masters and what they do and I thank him. "Oh no, there's no need to thank me. I should have remembered about you. Well, would you like to choose first?" He asks.

"No thank you. But I would like to choose last, if that is alright with you?"

"It's fine with me," he says, a baffled expression on his face. He takes a paper off of his desk and says, "Abigail, you are first to pick. Go on."

Abigail steps forward and says in a voice barely above a whisper, head down, "Mr. Garrison, will you please take me as your apprentice?"

Mr. Garrison, the cobbler, says, "Of course, dear." His voice is loud and clear as he says it, obviously proud that he has an apprentice.

"That was fast. Well, Ava, you get to pick next."

She has a strange glint in her eye as she truly smiles and says, "I would like to be apprenticed at the jeweler's."

An old man steps forward from the line of craft masters and says, "I accept her as my apprentice."

This process is repeated with Grant, Oliver, and Plubio. They all get their first choices, but the blacksmith does hesitate a bit when deciding whether or not to choose him for an apprentice.

"Now here is Zinnia Swiftfingers, our newest ward. Who is your first choice, Tabea?"

"I have no preference. I guess I will go anywhere that will take me," I say, my voice ringing around the otherwise silent room.

"Well would anyone like to have Tabea as their apprentice?" Arald asks of the remaining craft masters. The only crafts remaining are baking, becoming a courier, or battle school. The look of disapproval in the battle master's eye is obvious. He won't accept a girl, especially a girl of my size. The baker is sizing me up, deciding whether or not I could handle the hot ovens, and the courier is watching me with kind, apologetic eyes. I stare straight ahead at the wall in despair. I won't be getting out of the hard labor of working in the fields for the rest of my life.

"I won't take her. She's a girl, and for someone her size, she wouldn't last a day in my school." The battle master says.

"I'm sorry to say that neither will I. She does have the manners, the posture, and she's doing a good job of keeping a level head right now, but I'm not sure how good she would be in a bad situation." The courier sighs.

"I can't take her. She is too fragile to carry around the trays, and she would probably burn herself in the first few minutes," the baker says with a shrug. I nod as they each reject me, keeping my chin up. I don't mind not getting chosen. I probably deserve doing the labor of those whom I once might have stolen from. What goes around comes around, I guess.

"Thank you all for your honest opinions and consideration," I say. I learned to keep calm as if I were a diplomat from Maria, seeing as she once had been one.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this Zinnia but you will be working in the fields." Baron Arald says with a look of genuine sympathy in his eyes. "As for the rest of you, congratulations! You shall report to your craft master tomorrow morning with your things and stay with them. I hope you all find a talent for what you have chosen. The rest of today is when you should be readying for departure of the castle's orphanage. Have a good rest of the day, everyone."

I walk back to the orphanage with everyone else, completely silent. I have a feeling of failure in my heart, but I keep my chin high, back straight, and I stare straight ahead of me the whole time. Grant and Oliver try to talk to me a few times, apologizing for me not getting picked, but I don't respond to them. I don't want to talk right now.

I don't talk for the rest of the day except to say the occasional, "Excuse me," or "Sorry." I am given a bag by Devera who says that I am supposed to pack all of the clothes in the dresser. As she put it, they're a gift from the Baron to all of his wards.

My sleep is troubled that night. I toss and turn the whole time, always seeing myself join the rest of the band in whatever place you must end up when you die after a lifetime of hard labor.

* * *

_**): I thought that deserved a sad face, so I made a sad face. I'm so creative.**_

_**Okay, so about her last name. A lot of people back then were named for their abilities, what they are and such so they wouldn't really question a strange name like Swiftfingers. Well, at least I don't THINK they would... Oh well. I'm just going to assume since I do that so often already.**_

_**Well, please do review, add to alerts, favorites, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!(:**_

_**Bye! BRO FIST!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The next morning I go to a house where Devera told me I should report to, and knock on the door. A dirty old woman with a hunched back and walking stick opens the door and smiles, revealing that she is missing all of her teeth.

"Hullo, I'm Zinnia and I am supposed to come here to work in the fields." I say kindly.

"Hullo, dear. I'm Ula, we were expecting you." Her words are slightly slurred from her lack of teeth, but she is understandable. I follow her to a small room with barely enough room for the bed, table, and chair it contains. She tells me it's where I'm sleeping, and I take a look at the filthy, moth eaten blankets. I decide that I have slept in worse conditions throw my small bag of belongings onto the chair.

"Ula! Father wants to know if the new girl arrived yet" A boy's voice calls from somewhere in the house.

"She's right here, Neil!" Ula shouts back.

A young man who can't be more than a few years older than me pokes his head into the room and says, "Oh, there you are. Come on, now. You have to get to work." He has short dark brown hair and a prominent jaw. He has a muscular build and is average height for someone around his age.

_I just got here and I already have to start laboring. Wonderful._ "Alright, let's get started then." I say. I won't complain about this, it had been my choice to go to the orphanage anyways. When I get myself into something and commit to it, I don't quit.

"Okay, follow me," He says turning around.

I am told to bring burlap sacks out to the people in the fields and am glad; they're not heavy at all, it should be easy. I hold the bags open as they fill the bags with grains and other crops and a man gives me complex instructions on where to put the now bulging bags. I throw one over my shoulder that's about half my weight and am about to leave when he says, "Whoa, where do you think you're goin'?"

"To go put this into a storage shed…?" I say, all of a sudden uncertain of myself.

"You need to bring more if we're ever gonna finish." With that, they load me up with 3 more bags. My knees buckle, but I manage to stay standing.

"Too heavy for ya, princess?" The man mocks and I restrain myself from sweeping his feet out from underneath him. I start walking away, working hard not to make it look like I'm struggling. I drag my feet along the ground, lugging the damned sacks along with me. They must weigh more than I do…

By the time I reach the storage sheds my arms feel like they are going to fall off, but Neil easily throws them in two at a time. I bend over, hands on my knees as I try to recover in time for the next round.

"QUITTING TIME!" I hear someone shout, and I straighten up, my stiff back aching in protest. Muscles I never knew I had are aching and sore, and I massage them as I head back to the house. I sigh in relief on the inside and can't help thinking about my bad luck streak. _Getting caught. Being put into an orphanage. Having to put up with Plubio and Devera. Having to spend time in a pigsty. Not being chosen on Choosing Day. Not feeling good enough for them. Now doing hard labor in a field all day. _ I'm starting to wonder if I'm just a magnet for bad luck.

"So you're the new girl, huh?" Neil's father, Patrick, asks me over a dinner of crops about to go bad and tough, dried meat.

"Yes, sir. My name is Zinnia."

"I don't need to know your name; you're just a girl that'll be staying under my roof in my house. Besides, you're a woman. I don't know why they even bothered sending you to me." He says, spitting on the ground near my feet.

I purse my lips and work hard not to say anything back to this man, or else I know he will win. He watches my facial expressions closely, so I wipe it clear of any emotion.

"Talk girl!" He all of a sudden shouts.

I stay silent and continue to eat my rough supper. I decide that I can't stomach anymore so I stand up, thank his wife for the meal, and go to my room. I jam the chair up against the door to make sure that nobody can get in, and relax as much as a person can on a bed that must be filled with dried grass or something else uncomfortable. I stare up at the ceiling, trying to block out the whole world.

I don't sleep that night since I ache everywhere, so I sneak out and walk around the sleeping town in my nightgown and a pair of leather boots. The moon is full and it's a cloudless night, so I am bathed in the beautiful silver light.

_The world is such a different place at night. It's just so, well, beautiful. _Time to explore.

Patrols are everywhere, shining their small circle of lantern light everywhere and checking to see that there aren't any people anywhere. Whenever I see a patrol approaching I dive into alleyways between houses and stay silent there, waiting for them to pass. I don't remember any patrols when I had gone scouting… Maybe I was just lucky enough not to notice them? I doubt that. The Rangers probably knew about us since we entered the fief and were watching us the whole time. They probably wanted us to give us hope by letting us get into the castle, then rip it away… They're widely known for their plans and cunning, so that's is most likely the case.

A patrol's lantern light comes into view around a corner not far ahead, and I panic. I never should have gotten that close… I should have been able to hear their footsteps… I dive into an alleyway and land next to a trash heap. I curl up into a small ball next to it and ignore the rat that runs across my foot. The patrol passes by the alleyway without noticing me and I smile. _They need to start checking alleys. But their mistakes only make things better for me._

Just as I deem it safe I start to slowly rise, trying to stay as silent as possible. I have only reached a crouched position when a hand shoots out of the trash heap I next to me and locks my arm in an iron grip.

* * *

_**I might as well admit it now, this chapter is so short that it's sad. I'm sorry about these long waits guys. I'm updating whenever I have time, and lately that hasn't happened very often. I'm in a program for advanced students in school (meaning I get a lot of homework. Ugh), I have been worrying about applying to academies for high school, I have been starting a new story to submit in a competition that I really want to enter, and I've been feeling like poo. Seriously, my throat hurts really bad and I've been really sore lately.**_

_**Enough of my complaints. Please do review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!**_

_**See you guys in my next update! BROFIST!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I stay silent, knowing I will be in even more trouble from the patrol if I get caught out here so late than if I were to simply fight off my attacker.

I grab their wrist and grip it, hard. "Tabea, stop!" A voice from the heap whispers, making me immediately release my grip and hug the trash covered person.

"Maria! You're safe; I thought they would have put you in the dungeons!"

"They did; but you tend to learn how to pick a lock when you live with thieves."

I smile and say, "You have no idea how good it is to see you. Just not so much to smell you." I say mockingly as I fan the scent away from my nose. "But they're going to find you! You have to leave the fief!"

"I know how to stay out of sight, Tabea. And now it is safe for you to call me by my real name. Nasrin."

I nod and say, "But it still isn't safe for you here. You must leave immediately. I can get you food, water, some clothes…"

"Tabea."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving."

"What? You have to leave! It's not safe! They're going to find you and execute you for sure this time, they will be merciless! The only reason you weren't executed is because I begged the Rangers for your life!"

"You spoke with the Rangers?" She asks, panic in her voice. Her eyes flick around to make sure that we are really alone, even though there's no need to. Not many people hide in trash heaps. "They're sorcerers Tabea! Never approach one again!"

"Nasrin, I had to-"

"You have to eat, sleep, and drink. You don't have to talk to _sorcerers. _ Especially ones that practice dark magic!" She interrupts.

"But-"

"No buts. I'm not leaving the fief without you. I am your caretaker and I plan to follow through with it, no matter how bad of a job I've done so far. Now come along," she says, rising from the pile of things people have tossed away. I crinkle my nose as the smell hits me once again and think, _They threw those things away for a reason._

"How will we live?" I ask, rising from my crouched position to stand alongside her. The sound of a watch guard's footsteps close by immediately make both of us drop to the ground as they pass by, not bothering to be quiet. Cautiously we rise again and dust ourselves off.

"We shall live as we were intended to: off of the land. Now hurry, the next patrol will be coming in a matter of minutes."

I follow closely behind her on silent feet, looking over my shoulder every once in a while to make sure we are not being followed.

We dive into alleys whenever we pass a patrol, but their rounds are becoming lazier and lazier. We reach the edge of the forest and don't hesitate to run in. Maria in a dirty, torn tunic and trousers, me in an ill-fitting night gown that goes halfway down my calves.

I jump over fallen trees, logs, and I duck under low branches, never slowing down. Maria does the same, still young at heart, and her middle aged body still able to keep up. I stay behind her and we run under the cover of the trees, the darkness swallowing us whole. While my leather boots splash through a small creek I can't help but think, _When will I ever be able to stop?_

We stop when the sun begins to shine through the leaves and Maria collapses onto the forest floor, panting and exhausted. I collapse next to her, lying on my back to recover.

After both of our breaths even out I say, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she answers reluctantly.

"What are we going to eat?" I whine, my stomach slightly grumbling.

"There's plenty of food all around us Tabea, as long as you know where and how to look." She rises slowly, groaning from soreness, and looks around us. She finds what she's looking for, and walks to retrieve it. She picks some of the leaves off of a plant and hands me a few. I give her a questioning look so she simply says, "Mint."

I shrug and pop a leaf in my mouth, sucking on it to get the flavor. It's not exactly a meal, but it does get rid of some of my hunger. We strip the plant of its leaves and suck on them as we go around the area, looking for something else that's edible.

We find a few other herbs and Nasrin carefully places them in an empty sack attached to her belt. We continue on, looking for water. I'm dehydrating fast from all of the running and walking; the heat doesn't help very much either. My lips are dry and cracked, and I can taste blood every time I talk as a new crack forms while I follow Nasrin. After hours of walking in the heat, we come upon a stream and I slowly sip the water to rehydrate my tongue, which by now has a leathery texture. I give a satisfied sigh as I quench my thirst, water dripping from my chin. I wipe it away and straighten up.

"We should get some sleep," I suggest.

"Alright. We might as well, since it's so hot right now. It will be cooler and darker at night so we can move about easier."

"Should we have a watch?"

"Not today. We're both too tired for that."

"Okay." I agree happily. She is right, after all. I am far too tired to argue with her.

I put my hands behind my head to use as a pillow and fall asleep almost immediately, tired after spending hours on end running through the forest on pure adrenaline. After a few hours of sleep I shoot up into a sitting position, realizing something that could land both of us in the dungeons if they have any mercy.

"Nasrin! We have to leave, now!" My arms tingle at my sides as they wake up. Pins and needles replace the small tingling and I shake my arms vigorously. It hurts.

She sits up groggily, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Why? It's not even dusk yet."

She's right. It is only about 4 in the afternoon. "We left tracks, Nasrin. The Rangers will be tracking us for sure, and they will find us."

Her eyes widen in horror as she wakes up and finds the truth in my words. "We will take turns obliterating our tracks. I will forge the path first, you cover our trail." She begins to continue in the same direction that we had last night but I stop her. "What?" She asks, wondering why I stopped her.

"Even if we get rid of our tracks they will guess that we are going in the same direction. We have to change paths." She nods grimly and turns right, walking at a brisk pace. We both know we are incapable of running now, and I can't remove tracks and run at the same time.

We walk for hours, much longer than we had slept. I keep checking behind us, nervous that the Rangers are right behind us. For all I know, they are. As the thought occurs to me I begin to observe the forest, looking for any movement. All I see is bark and foliage. Nasrin and I switch off every hour, making sure we don't tire very quickly. We stop in the middle of the night when it becomes obvious that her legs can't take very much more. I am extremely paranoid and I don't need very much sleep, so I take the first watch. Nasrin protests but soon gives in. She is far too tired and sore right now to deny even the very thought of sleep.

I rest my back against a tree, unmoving, as I watch the shadows moving in the night. I listen to the crickets chirp, the night birds call, and the wind whistle through the trees. The cool night breeze feels nice against my hot skin. I pick at the nightgown in disgust. Why hadn't I put on different clothes before I left my room?

I begin to feel hungry but I silence my stomach. I'm used to hunger; it's one of the many things Odin used to punish me with. A pang of sorrow runs through me and I flinch. Nasrin and I are the only 2 left out of around 20 thieves. Odin is dead. They're all dead. I pull my knees up close to my body to rest my arms on them. I bury my face into my bare arms and silently cry. I realize what I'm doing and quickly wipe the tears off of my face. My hot face is probably blotchy and red, but it's dark out here. I wake Nasrin for her shift and curl up into a ball on my side, cradling myself closely as I drift off to sleep. I cherish the few hours of sleep that I am able to get; I don't know the next time I will be getting a chance like this again. But even in my sleep, I can feel the dark void left inside of me.

* * *

_**I've been going through the reviews and I noticed that a lot of you are thinking that Tabea and Plubio are going to end up as a couple, so I went read my previous chapters and realized that that is exactly what I would have done if I were a reader since I sometimes make random couples. I TOTALLY meant to do that with this story...**_

_**My cold is going away, so I might be updating a bit more often. It really just depends though.**_

_**Thanks for all of the reviews! They're amazing, and I absolutely love reading the feedback that you guys give me. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. Please keep reviewing! Also add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions that you have about this story. Thanks!**_

_**That was a long author's note. My fingers are now frozen because my window is open and it's cold outside... Bye!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

In the morning we decide that we will be operating in daylight after all. We come upon a town and find a stream nearby to wash in so we won't stand out too much; if you're going to rob someone, then you don't want them to notice you because of your stench before you're able to get into their loose change. We eat the contents of Nasrin's small pouch of herbs to subdue our hunger and set off. Rumbling stomachs won't do us much good, either. We walk through the market and we get quite a few dirty looks from the locals. I attract the attention of a few boys my age as well as a few drunken men, but I pay them no attention. It's the same in every town, and every man is the same. They're all pigs, and I don't intend to give them the time of day. They won't understand me. Nobody understands me. They never have, and they never will. It's as simple as that.

I go from stall to stall, Nasrin by my side. We both know the drill. We both talk up a storm, all of it pointless babbling mostly to distract them. Unfortunately, the peddlers here are familiar with the trick and keep their eyes on us, careful to make sure we don't steal anything. For the twelfth time in a row Nasrin and I walk away still babbling, but once out of sight we let our shoulders droop in disappointment.

"This is a tough town. They know how to avoid being swindled," I say quietly so that Nasrin is the only person that can hear me. My lips don't move as I speak so that if somebody did hear me, they wouldn't know whose voice it was.

"Try picking a pocket or two. We need some money for food," she says, doing the same thing.

We start our mindless chatter again and I pretend to not know where I'm going. I bump into quite a few people whose pockets aren't very closely guarded. I only take small amounts from everyone, but it builds up. Nasrin and I reach the end of town and decide to go back to buy a small burlap sack that we could put our food in. We both know that we can't carry a lot. It would slow us down far too much.

We take the main road out of town and when we can no longer see hear the bustle of the market we make our way off of the road, careful to get rid of our tracks. When we are a good distance away from the main road we sit down and start to talk about our findings.

"They're all far too smart for my liking. We can't rob them. We should find a new town." Maria says.

"I agree. We need a map or else we won't know Skandia from Clonmel, though."

"We'll do what we always did: follow the North Star. As for the map, we can steal one at the next town we come to."

"Alright. But when are we going to find another town?"

She begins to rub the area right in between her eyes and answers tiredly, "I don't know, Tabea. I just don't know."

After about a week of wandering through the forest we finally come upon another town. The people are friendly and unsuspecting, so I easily get a map. I have learned a lot about plants from Nasrin. Some are for healing, some are edible. I had learned how to fight from Cadman and I can't help but wonder if hunting is similar.

As we walk through the town I begin to wonder what fief we are even in at the moment; I'm completely disoriented. I begin to look around then notice a piece of parchment put up with a sketch of my face on it.

"Nasrin. We have to leave Araluen. Now."

"Why?" She asks, confused.

"I'm a wanted woman, Nasrin." I give her a cocky smile, but she knows me far too well. I'm sure she can sense my uneasiness at the moment as I put my head down and try to cover my face with my hair as best as I can without it looking abnormal.

She stares at me and immediately she pulls me through the crowds, pretending that I am her daughter. She babbles on and on about how I shouldn't be sneaking off or anything, so I simply keep my head down so that nobody can see my face. A cloak wouldn't be so bad right now; especially since the nights would be so much warmer. It doesn't matter at the moment though since people will assume that I'm just ashamed of myself.

Nasrin and I keep to ourselves as we reach the edge of town with no troubles. My hopes soar as I think of how each step I am taking is one step closer to the safety of the woods.

I hear a voice shout, "STOP GIRL!" It sounds close, but that isn't what troubles me. What troubles me is the fact that it's familiar.

"Dammit… Dammit all…" I hear Nasrin mutter as she quickens her pace, dragging me along with her.

I curse myself for letting my hopes get so high as I hurry along, trying hard not to burst into a sprint. My heart and my foolish hopes of escape sink as a hand wraps around my arm. I am jerked back with so much force that it feels like my arm is going to be ripped out of its socket and I stumble. All hopes of safety are ridiculous and far off, now. Almost like an old dream that you faintly remember. As long as they're around, I'll never be able to escape.

As long as they are around, safety doesn't exist.

* * *

_**This is going to be long...**_

_**If you were to go onto my profile and read the 'Update Status' then you would see that I'm on semi-hiatus. Why 'semi'? I don't know. I just thought I would make myself feel special and add a prefix to it.**_

_**You're probably wondering, "If you're on 'semi-hiatus' then why did you post this?" Well, that a good question. The answer is that it's because I wanted to squeeze in one last update before I go on my little break. Holla. (I don't know... I just thought I'd give this some slang since it was so serious...)**_

_**Anyways, please review. They make me REALLY happy. Don't forget to add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks!**_

_**Bye! CHAIR MODE: ACTIVATED. BOOP.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Hello Patrick. It's a pleasure to see you again," I say warmly as I turn to face him.

"You're in a whole lot of trouble back in Redmont, girl. I knew thieves should never be trusted. I didn't like you one bit the second I saw you."

"To be honest, I wasn't all that thrilled when I first saw you either. You're not exactly easy on the eyes."

"Shush girl! You're going back to Redmont with me and you're going to get the punishment you deserve!"

"Not if I can help it," Nasrin says, breaking her silence. She straightens up to her full height and I look at the flames in her eyes. I know my face must show my awe, for I have never seen her so… Intimidating.

"This doesn't concern you, woman," he says, pushing her aside as he begins to drag me away by my wrist; none too gently, mind you.

Nasrin grabs my arm and his and snarls, "I am her guardian. You aren't taking her anywhere."

He stares at her hand gripping his arm in shock and says, "Let me go. Now." His shock quickly ebbs away as he bares his rotting teeth, many of which were missing.

"No. Not until you let her go." The look of sheer determination is obvious on her face.

"Never," he spits.

"Then I'll never let go," she swears, her anger almost tangible. I can almost see the strings of tension in the air.

He lets loose a string of cusses and says, "I knew her parents would be mad, but I didn't know they would be this bad. I blame you for her coming out so bad."

I glare at him and give Nasrin a look. She nods in understanding and lets go of both of us. He smiles in triumph and draws in breath to probably say something rude, but I don't give him the chance. I kick him in the shin and bring my elbow to his nose, making it spew blood almost immediately and leaving it crooked. He shouts in pain and cradles it tenderly with both hands, leaving me free. I run for it with Nasrin; it's my only move left. The town watch here is made up of drunken fools, so it takes a while for them to give chase. By then we have reached the cover of the trees. We crash through the forest until we hear hoof beats behind us. I panic and dive into the underbrush, pulling Nasrin down with me. We stay completely as the dry branches poke into our backs, both of us extremely uncomfortable, fighting all urges off to shift into a more comfortable position.

I don't even dare to breathe as I hear the hoof beats get closer and closer to us. I can practically feel the horse's hot breath as it slows down near the underbrush Nasrin and I are hiding in. It can sense us; I know it can. I mentally urge it on, hoping that it won't alert its rider to us. Of course I have no such luck, as the rider dismounts and I hear his boots hit the ground.

I feel Nasrin tense beside me and I shut my eyes, trying to block out what I know is going to happen next. It seems to take ages before I hear the man mumble, "Stupid horse," and get back in the saddle. Once I can no longer hear the horse's steps, I let out my breath in a sigh of relief. I poke my head out of the foliage and look around to check that the coast is clear. I confirm that it is and stand up, falling back down when my left leg refuse to wake up. Nasrin helps me up and I lean against her until the pins and needles painfully disappear.

"We have to wait until night fall to see where North is, but we have to get away from here first. They'll catch us if we stay this close to the town," Nasrin says and I grimly nod. It used to be okay with me, running from the law and everything. Now that the only people I can depend on for survival are myself and Nasrin, I'm not sure if I want to do this anymore. I don't know how long I can keep it up out here, if I have what it takes to survive. Some thief I am; I'm considering turning myself in just for a piece of decent meat.

As if reading my mind, Nasrin says, "Stay strong, Tabea. I know you're hungry, but be patient. We will have food soon enough. I'm doing my best to take care of you right now."

I sigh and say, "I know, Nasrin. I know."

We trek north through the forest for a few more days until it ends, giving way to mountains. We stay at the base of them, not daring to climb up the snow capped peaks. The temperature keeps dropping as we go further and further north. At night we have to huddle to stay warm, but eventually it gets unbearable even when we share our body heat. We reach a small town and buy new clothes: a tunic, trousers, boots, and woolen cloaks for both of us. We get dirty looks when we buy them, but I could care less. I'm not getting back into a dress until absolutely necessary. Besides, I know we made the right choice when we reach the snow covered landscapes of Northern Araluen.

"Well, according to the map we are getting close to Castle Macindaw and the border of Araluen and Picta."

"Wonderful, Picta is _just _the place I wanted to go." I say, pulling my boots on in a small cave we found this morning. We have decided to travel by night since it's already far too easy to track us in the snow.

"You said you wanted to get out of Araluen. You never said anything about Picta."

"The Scotti tribes there are horrible, though. The only reason we survived there last time was because we were with the others; don't you remember that they don't tolerate females traveling alone? We will be attracting more attention there than we will here! At least here the death will be quick, the Scotti will rip us limb from limb if we're lucky."

She falls silent for a while, thinking of a way around my words, and finally says, "Then I will become a man."

* * *

_**No surgery. I promise, guys.**_

_**Alright, I feel bad for not updating in such a long time so I'll probably try to do a few more updates before... Monday. Yea. Monday. Maybe I'll even stay updating active.**_

_**Anyways, I hope this was (slightly) worth it. (Probably not...) I tend to make filler chapters, then add important tidbits at the end. Well, slightly important, at least. Oh well.**_

_**Review, add to alerts, yea yea, I'm probably getting annoying with all of this stuff. Thanks.(:**_

_**See ya'll soon, hopefully! (Probably tomorrow. Turkey Day updates! Yay!)**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"WHAT?!" I practically shout, bursting out of the cave with only one boot on.

"I said I will become a man. If it is truly necessary for a woman to travel with a man at all times, then I will pose as your father."

"Great idea, you could really play my father. There's just one thing wrong with that plan: you're not a man! How can you become one?"

She gives a snort of laughter and says, "Of course I can't _truly _become one. That was a bit dramatic on my part, but I can pose as one. Cutting my hair short and pulling the hood of my cloak up are two very small things that I can easily adjust to, Tabea."

I search through her plan mentally, looking for a flaw as I still holding on to one of my boots, and come up with something. "What if someone talks to you? Then they will know that you are no man."

"I can be a deaf man. You would be able to support that. Now we need to move out, hurry up so we can get out of here already. I don't trust this place at all."

I laugh harshly and pull my boot on. _A deaf man is just as witty as good as a dead man to them, _I think, but I keep my mouth shut. I look up at the night sky and find the North Star, and then we move out. For the first few dozen steps I take I flinch every time my boots make a crunch in the snow, thinking that each step I take will wake someone up, but when nobody comes to chase us away I begin to no longer care. There's nothing I can do about it.

We eventually reach a forest where the branches are intertwined at the top so tightly that there is no snow on the ground. I look at Nasrin and she answers my unspoken question. "Yes, this is the Grimsdell Forest. Be brave, young one."

I go to swallow my saliva as we begin to make our way towards it, but my mouth is bone dry. I guess knowing all there is to possibly know about a place isn't an advantage this time. I shiver as I think of what dark sorcery might be going on beyond the trunks of the dead trees, and can't seem to warm my bones as I think of the man that is behind the dark magic.

It is nearly impossible to find a way to walk through the roots of the trees without getting your foot caught and falling. I catch myself before I fall, but Nasrin doesn't have the reflexes she probably used to have. After half an hour of walking through Grimsdell she is fuming and her face is cut in several places, sending small rivets of blood slickly sliding down her face. I can hear her muttering curses and I just hope that no one else can hear us right now.

We hear strange noises coming from the trees as we go along and I start run straight out of there when I see glowing balls of light floating in midair. Nasrin catches my arm and holds me closely, knowing that I hate things like this that I'm not able to logically sort out. That's me: Tabea Newhart, always afraid of not being able to outwit anyone. I shut my eyes tight as she strokes my hair, hoping that I won't be as scared if I simply can't see the things going on around me. The noises begin to get louder, and Nasrin releases me. I clench and unclench my fists to calm myself, then slowly open my eyes.

"We have to keep moving if you want to get out of here sooner."

I nod and gather my nerves, steeling myself for the bravery I know I will need to survive the night.

We come upon a small clearing and I blink to adjust to the sudden light. It was nearly pitch black in the woods, now there is a small circle of moonlight shining through the branches and the ground is clear of any roots. Nasrin turns around to face me as I gawk at the simple beauty of nature. "We should rest here. It's not a very nice place, but it is probably the only rest we are going to have for a while."

I grit my teeth and nod, looking around to make sure that none of the globes are around here. She takes out a small blade we had stolen from the place we had bought our clothes at from our burlap sack of belongings. She begins to cut her hair short and once she is done she pulls her hood above her head, shielding her face from sight. I let her sleep first and I put my back against one of the trees, hood up, and watch my surroundings. My eyelids begin to grow heavy and I soon fall asleep. Trekking through a place like Grimsdell is tiring work, and even though I am terrified of this place, I sleep soundly.

Unfortunately, sleeping soundly is not a good thing in a dark place like Grimsdell. I wake to the sound of howling in the distance, and my blood runs cold at the chilling sound.

* * *

_**I've been neglecting this story so much... I'm sorry. And I promised I would update on Thanksgiving, but I didn't! ): I'll put up another chapter today, this one was kind of really short...**_

_**Review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestion. You can also PM me if you wanna yell at me for not updating like I said I was. Either one works. And I'd be happy to hear either one, cuz feedback is feedback. Thank you.(:**_

_**See ya in the next chapter!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

I look around frantically, looking for the wolves, but there is no sign of them. I strain my ears, trying to see if I can hear them coming, and sure enough I do. I hear heavy breathing and the sound of razor sharp claws scratching against the roots of the trees. Nasrin wakes up groggily and we hear another howl; she jumps up with the burlap sack in hand.

"We'll never outrun them!" She almost shouts, panic in her voice.

Another howl reaches our ears, closer this time. I look around frantically once again and my eyes lock on a tree taller than most of the others around it. "Climb!"

I scramble up the tree and sit on one of the lower branches and Nasrin passes me the sack of our belongings and begins to scramble up the tree herself. I have never seen her climb before. I grip the sack in one hand and begin to climb higher up until the branches barely support my weight. I lower myself down a branch to be safe, and seconds later Nasrin sits on a branch next to mine just above the clearing. She gasps when the first wolf enters the clearing, and I cover my mouth in horror.

The wolf is bigger than any regular wolf and its coat is an uninterrupted field of jet black, similar to the obsidian stone I had once seen in a foreign land. Its eyes seem to glow with blood lust and it vibrates in excitement, looking for any sign of fresh meat. The rest of the pack follows after it and I am glad to see that they are all normal sized and their coats are a dark grey. The alpha male turns to face the rest of the pack and I see a patch of fur missing as well as a healing wound. The sight of the torn, mangled flesh makes me want to vomit. I am at a loss for words as I wonder what could have possibly happened to hurt it that bad.

When the others notice no meat around, another male in the group steps up, seemingly to challenge the alpha. I watch in horror as he gets his throat ripped out, hot blood pouring from his ripped flesh as he easily gets taken down by the lightning fast alpha male. Nasrin whimpers and I can tell that she is shaking; she never responded well to blood. The blood isn't what scares me this time; it's how fast and how easily the alpha did it. There was no moment of hesitation; only blood shed.

The alpha male looks around, obviously confused, and snarls, revealing razor sharp canines stained with blood. He begins to sniff around and picks up on our scent. My heart thumps, threatening to jump out of my chest as it gets nearer and nearer to our tree. It looks up wickedly and sees us above it, legs dangling quite a few meters above its head.

It begins to circle the tree menacingly, waiting for us to come down. It knows we will have to eventually, and it seems desperate for some fresh meat. I sit, scared out of my mind, watching it slowly walk around. The terror wells up inside of me and I want to scream, but I know how close Castle Macindaw is. They wouldn't hesitate to kill me once news reached them of how I was wanted throughout all of Araluen. Thieves and runaways aren't exactly welcome sights, but a thieving runaway? That's a whole other story.

I realize that I have a small blade and take it out, holding it in a death grip, not feeling safer in the slightest. I wouldn't stand a chance against those wolves if it came down to a fight. If it came to it, I'd rather stab myself to death before they can get to me.

The alpha eventually gets tired of waiting for fresh meat, and seems to remember about the kill he just made. He pads over to it and begins to eat the wolf's throat first, and I look away as it begins to rip open the carcass with its claws. I can smell the blood from here.

We sit there for seemingly hours, waiting for the sun to rise. It seems like it never will in these woods. I almost nod off a couple of times, but catch myself in the act. Knowing myself, I would probably fall to my death. I glance over at Nasrin and see that she is fighting off sleep as well. She catches me looking at her, a probably concerned look on my face, and gives me a reassuring smile. We'll make it.

Just to keep my limbs from growing any stiffer, I climb up to a branch above me without much thinking. Nasrin notices and follows, taking her time as she does so. She reaches a branch next to the one I am on and sits down on it gratefully. She looks so uncomfortable right now, and I just wish that we weren't thieves. She never would have taken care of me, and I might not have been raised the same way, or even raised at all. Maybe no one would have ever found me. Almost nobody ventures out to the remote lands where Nasrin said the camp was. My brain begins to shut down, and I barely seem capable of holding the bag anymore. I tie it to the branch with slow, clumsy fingers as my eyelids begin to feel like lead. I begin to crave sleep more than anything in the world, and my eyelids droop a bit more.

I look at Nasrin to make sure she is okay and see that her head rests on her shoulder as she lightly sleeps. I inch towards the trunk of the tree and lean against it to rest for just a second, and then I hear a loud snap. My eyes snap open just in time to see Nasrin plummeting towards the floor of the clearing, towards the bloodthirsty wolves awaiting her.

* * *

_**This chapter was slightly longer, so I hope it makes things a LITTLE bit better. I just got stuck later on in the story, and yea... I'll try to fix it before we hit that speedbump, but no guarentees.**_

_**Review, add to alerts, favorite, and PM me any suggestions. Thanks.(:**_

_**See ya! (I'll try to remember that I owe you guys an update tomorrow... And the next day... And maybe the day after that... And I've set up a poll on who you guys want to see later on in the story on my profile, so go check it out! :D)**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_Vocab:_**

**Quartering: **You know... That form of torture when your limbs are tied to 4 different horses and... Yea... Just for future reference in this chapter. It might pop up in other chapters. And it's disgusting. Onward with the chapter!

**Chapter 16**

She wakes up immediately and grabs onto the thing closest to her: my leg. It feels as if she is about to rip my leg straight out of the socket as she clings desperately to me, and I start thinking quickly. I put my other leg on the opposite side of the branch, clinging to it tightly, and I grab Nasrin's arms. I begin to pull her up, but I all of a sudden flip upside down. My blood rushes to my head as I try to hoist her up or at least get her onto a lower branch, but none of them are close enough. _Great. Out of all the places in this tree, I chose the one spot that has nothing as a safety net. _I begin to try and hoist her up, but I simply don't have the upper body strength for it. I don't give up though; every time she begins to slip I just grip tighter and start pulling again.

"Rest," she says to me after yet another failed attempt at pulling her up. I failed miserably; only able to pull her up less than 5 centimeters. Maybe it would hurt less if I simply cut both of my arms off.

I shake my head and keep going, blood pounding in my ears, but after I fail once more, I let her dangle there for a little while. That's when I hear another crack, and my branch begins to sway a bit. I look around in panic, then finally tilt my head back and see that it is splintering near the trunk. "Oh no…" I whisper, knowing that this is hopeless.

I gulp and use my last bit of energy to try and hoist Nasrin up. It simply won't do. She dangles in thin air as the branch I am hanging upside down from sways and can't help but ask, "What do I do now?"

"Let go," she says quietly. I barely hear her as the wolves below us start to howl.

"What? No! I'm not going to let you go! I- I can't!" Tears spring into my eyes from the strain on my arms and the idea of letting her die. Her life is in my hands and she wants me to let her die? It's absurd! She is one of the only people that have accepted me my whole life; one of the few people that I cared about. That I _care _about. I won't be able to live with myself if I let her die. There would be no difference between letting her go and slitting her throat in the middle of the night!

"The branch is going to snap soon. My death will only be delayed if you don't let go now. When that branch goes, we both die. _Let. Go." _She orders harshly, but I see the pain and compassion in her eyes, along with something else. It takes me a second to place it, but when I do, it's hard to believe that what I see is acceptance. She's gotten used to the thought of her death already.

"NO!" I say, just as I hear another crack. I tilt my head back and see that it's almost half way through. We will both be made meals of by those filthy animals _very _soon.

"You have to, Tabea. Be strong, young one." Her eyes glitter and I see that she is crying as well.

"I can't lose you, Nasrin! You're the only one I have left! I'll never let you go!" I say, full out crying by now. I haven't shed a tear in so long, and to be bawling now is just such a strange feeling for me. It's like meeting an old friend for the first time in years, except both of you haven't changed at all. I'm still the hopeless, small, scared little girl I had been years ago. And I hate it. I hate myself for it.

"I'll always be with you, Tabea. Goodbye, my child." With that, she lets go of my arms and I struggle to hold on to hers. She slips towards the ground slowly, and soon I am grasping her wrists. I am unable to hold on any longer and my arms shake from the strain as I let go. She plummets towards the ground and I hear a crack and check the branch but it's the same as the last time I checked it. My stomach flips as I realize her neck snapped, and I look down once more. The wolves gather around her, tearing her flesh straight off of the bone and eating it raw. I see her blood pool around her limp, lifeless body and I look away. I can't see her like this. I can't see anyone like this. My bottom lip trembles and I begin to cry loudly, my sobs echoing around me throughout the trees. Why not? Crying is exactly what scared little girls do in situations like this, is it not?

* * *

I stay up in the tree, huddled into a ball, and I keep my eyes shut tight. Sleep doesn't come. I don't think it ever will. Maybe my fetal position will help keep some of the emotions out.

Eventually I pry my eyelids open to find that the sun has come out and that the wolves have left. I had switched to a different branch earlier in the hopes of escaping the impact of her death. It follows me though, like a shadow. It clings to me like a desperate child in search of comfort from its mother, and I grow used to it.

I climb down, numb and not even really checking to be completely sure that the pack had left. I don't care anymore. I wouldn't care if they ripped me apart like they did to Nasrin. It would be a blessing, actually. At least I would be able to feel something. I think of a cruel form of torture I once witnessed in a far off land called **quartering**, and give myself a grim smile. It would probably be easier than watching Nasrin's body get eaten.

I hear a loud buzzing noise and turn to see the bloody remains of my former caretaker surrounded by flies. I swat them away but they keep coming back so in the end I just give up and examine her body. Her flesh is ripped, obviously torn apart by hungry beasts, and bile rises up my throat as my eyes work their way up to her face. I turn around and vomit, unable to stand the sight of it. I begin to rummage through the sack, looking for a water bottle, but I realize that we don't have one. We were melting snow and drinking it since we got to Northern Araluen, and we would always find streams to drink from if there was no snow.

My throat burns and my mouth has the lingering taste of my stomach fluids. I turn back around and the smell of her rotting corpse finally hits me. I almost vomit again. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and I run out of the clearing, not able to stand another minute of seeing Nasrin's mutilated body.

I don't slow down as I run, trying to leave it all behind. I stumble and fall many times, but every time I do I slowly rise back to my feet and start running again.

Soon, it doesn't seem worth it anymore. I get back up for the final time and start running once again. I fall after a few minutes, and my forehead slams into one of the tree's roots on the forest floor. My head feels hot and sticky for a second, then I black out.

* * *

_**Man, I suck at keeping promises. Oh well, I hope you guys liked it.(: It's hard writing for these kind of characters: they seem like the hard as rocks type, but they are really emotional on the inside, but they never let it show, so you never know what they're thinking. Ulllk.**_

_**It's another double upload today, just cuz I suck at remembering things. Is it weird that I'm tired ALL the time, but I can never sleep? Yes? *Insert 'Okay' rageface here...***_

_**Well, see ya in a few! :D**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

I wake up in a comfortable bed with sunlight shining into my eyes. I smile, thinking that I am finally dead, and that I can finally rest. Life isn't that kind. A searing pain cracks down on my forehead, and I reach up to touch it. It is well bandaged, and probably changed recently. I shoot up into a sitting position, which turns out to be a bad idea, as I crumple slightly in pain, bu straighten once again after composing myself. I look around the room and find that no one else is here. I get up and immediately collapse onto the floor, my legs made of jelly. My old clothes are folded on top of a table. I have on a man's night shirt that reaches down to my knees. The door opens and reveals an elderly man with a kind look in his eye. I glare at him as he enters, knowing he's the reason I'm here.

"Ah, so you're up. One of my people found you unconscious in the woods. What would a young girl such as yourself be doing venturing out alone in a place like Grimsdell?" His voice is hoarse, but has a soothing tone to it.

"I wasn't alone…" I whisper, my voice coming out as almost a croak.

He excuses himself for a minute then comes back with a glass of water and hands it to me. "Who were you with?"

I sit on the bed and take a sip from the glass, enjoying the soothing sensation of the cool water trickling down my throat. "I was with my caretaker. Who are you?"

"How rude of me, I am Malcolm. Where is your caretaker now?"

My bottom lip quivers and my hands shake as they wrap around the glass. I fight back the tears as I say, "Dead." The numbness is gone. Nasrin is gone. And she has left me behind with a world of pain. Being quartered definitely sounds like a better alternative now.

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear. What was her name? And what is your name?"

I hesitate, not sure whether to tell him my real name or not. I'm not even sure who this man is; I don't feel inclined to tell him who I really am. The look on his face is of genuine concern, but that means nothing to me. It will take a lot more than a facial expression for me to trust somebody.

He sees me hesitate and he says, "That's alright dear. I won't rush you. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

I nod grimly and ask, "Where am I?"

"My home."

"Where exactly _is _'your home'?" I press on.

He sighs and says, "I can't tell you that until I know that I am able to trust you. Are you hungry?"

I nod, used to people not trusting me, and I say, "Yes. Starving, actually."

"That is to be expected. You've been unconscious for 3 days now."

"Excuse me if I'm wrong, but did you just say _3 days?"_

"Yes, I believe I did. Is something wrong?"

I shake my head and he leaves the room, closing the door softly behind him. I place the glass onto a small table and fall back onto the bed with a groan. 3 days have passed since Nasrin died, and all I have done is sleep. I haven't even gotten out of Araluen like we had planned. Picta has now been ruled out as an option; I have no escort. My only option is to go back down south to look for a port or travel all the way to Celtica. Either way will be difficult.

Malcolm comes back into the room after a few minutes carrying a tray of food. My mouth waters as I see the steaming bowl of broth and chunk of bread next to it. He places it at the foot of the bed and leaves, letting me to eat in peace. I force myself to not devour it all at once as I slowly sip the broth and dip pieces of bread into it, softening them. I look out my window as I eat and see a fairly large clearing, empty of any people. I see the trees and realize that we are still in Grimsdell Wood; I have yet to see another place where the trees grow together as thickly as they do here.

As I stare out into the bright light of day, I realize why Malcolm didn't tell me where I was at first. He's a dark sorcerer. _The _dark sorcerer. _Malkallam._

As the though occurs to me, I realize that I have to get out of here as fast as possible. I see my sack in the corner and check to see that everything is exactly as I had left it. I quickly change into my old clothes on the dresser, locating my boots under the bed. I open the window and let the cold, crisp, fresh air hit me. I climb through and start running for the woods, sack in hand. My legs are unreliable as I go along, and my head feels like it's going to split open. Halfway to the trees I fall to my knees, holding my head in my hands. I contort my face in pain and start to shriek in pain.

Malcolm comes out of his humble home and calls a name out. I can't make out his words over my own screams. A giant comes out of the woods and my voice disappears in fear. It picks me up and carries me back to the room where I had woken up in. It takes up most of the room and I can't help but feel a pang of sorrow for it; I'm not even completely sure why. It leaves the room and Malcolm enters with a sad look in his eyes.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't find out where we really are," he says softly.

"Grimsdell Wood, you mean? It's easily recognizable. Why wouldn't you tell me? What just carried me in? What is going on?"

"Why did you decide to run? It's obvious that you aren't afraid of Grimsdell Wood, so what made you want to get out of here?"

"You honestly don't know why I would want to run? You're a dark sorcerer! Of course I'm going to run! Now stay away from me!" I draw an ancient symbol to ward off evil over my heart and hold up my hands in defense.

"I am no dark sorcerer."

"I beg to differ. I've heard the legends about you, _Malkallam."_

He sighs and sits down in a chair. "This is a long story, and I would prefer to not be interrupted. Can you manage that?"

I nod and he starts. I never tear my gaze away from him in fear of any sorcery, but none arises. He nears the end and I go through it all in my head. It's a tale of being outcast from his village simply because he couldn't heal one boy, and being accused of dark sorcery. Most people in towns are cruel and unaccepting, so I know that is at least the truth. I examine his face closely, searching for anything that could tell me that he is lying, but I find none. He is telling the complete truth.

"_That _is how and why I found refuge in Grimsdell Wood, my dear," he finishes.

I take a deep breath and look him in the eye. "I believe you."

* * *

_**More of a filler chapter, and the only excitement was for like... A paragraph. Yea. It's sad how boring I can get, I know. But it's good to have fillers sometimes, cuz I don't want this turning into a Michael Bay movie script.**_

_**Anyways... The poll is still open! :D But I have no votes cast in yet... And it's quite awkward...**_

_**Please do review, add to alerts, favorite, or PM me any suggestions you might have about this story.(: It would help, cuz we're getting close to the part where I'm stuck on... Like... Really close... (It's the next chapter, and I'll have to think like really hard about it.)**_

_**I MIGHT update on Sunday if A) I have it done/ Gotten past my writer's block. B) Finished my homework. C) Recovered from the test I'm going to be taking on Saturday. The things I will do to get into the academy I chose...**_

_**Well, see ya next time!(:**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

For the next few days I simply take things easy, willing myself to recuperate faster. I take my small knife outside one morning and start practicing. I throw at the trees, aiming for small knolls they might have. Malcolm finds me out there and says, "You're straining yourself. If you don't take it easy like I told you to then it will take longer for you to recover."

I stop mid-throw and begin walking back to the house, silently steaming with rage. I can't even do anything to pass the time! Wonderful!

Once I reach my room I place it back in my small sack and look through it. Other than the small knife there is a small pouch of coins and an assortment of roots and leaves. I sigh as I close it, knowing that I will need more supplies if I'm going to survive alone. I have kept the heavy curtains drawn for the past few days, not wanting to see the world. I don't want the world to see me either. At times Nasrin's death hits me so hard that I don't want to exist anymore. It's as simple as that. If you would call that simple, that is.

* * *

That night Malcolm decides that I should get a bit more social since it's obvious that I will be staying here for a while. I now sit in an uncomfortable chair with no cushions, my back stiff as I slowly spoon the hot chowder into my mouth, cooling it before I do so. I eat in silence, not making any effort to speak whatsoever. I was fine with sitting alone in my room eating. I don't want to sit here with Malcolm, who watches me like a hawk and I simply stare into the thick chowder.

"So, do you want to tell me your name yet?" He finally asks with a sigh.

"Do you want to let me leave yet?" I ask quietly.

"No."

"There's your answer."

I look up and see that he's scowling. "Just finish eating."

I smirk, feeling accomplished, and start eating a bit faster. As I scrape up the last few morsels of food from my bowl, Malcolm makes another attempt at a conversation.

"You know, you should meet the others tonight."

I look up at him, curious. "What others?"

"My people live here too," he says nonchalantly.

He must be mad. This cottage is small, and I've seen that Malcolm is the only other person who lives here at the moment. There is nobody else; well, other than the giant, but I haven't seen him in quite a while…

I stand to leave but he says, "Come along. You should at least say hullo. They've wanted to meet you for a while."

I turn back around as he slowly rises from his chair. He opens the door and walks outside, not checking to see if I'm following. There is a fire going in a pit and I see forms huddled around it, staying warm in the bitter cold. It nips at every bit of my exposed skin and I shiver.

I stare at the ground as we approach the fire, wrapping my arms around myself to help conserve my warmth. Malcolm all of a sudden stops and I almost bump into him. He turns around and says, "I would like you to meet everyone."

I look up and see their deformed bodies, some of them looking absolutely grotesque. I keep my facial expression even and think back to all of the horrible things I have seen before this. An image of Nasrin's body being torn apart and the aftermath almost makes me break down, but I somehow keep my emotions in check. I work hard to smile at each of them in turn, and they beam back at me, slightly surprised. They must not be used to having people be glad to see them.

The giant that had carried me back to my room when I tried to escape sits on the cold hard ground. It pets an old, pure black dog who stares at me wearily. I hear barks from the forest, and soon a few more dogs come crashing into the clearing. They must be the puppies. Well, judging from their size they are no longer puppies…

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Malcolm says, gesturing to an empty space on one of the logs they must have set up. I sit down and feel the intensity of the fire less than a meter away. I feel grateful for the warmth; for some reason an empty space inside of me isn't warmed at all. It will probably stay cold forever.

"So, what are we going to be doing here exactly? Stare into the flames to see if we can find the meaning of life? Sing a song begging for our souls?" I say with an overly cheerful voice after a few minutes of going mad, simply waiting for somebody to talk.

"Maybe we should stick you head in and see if you can sing a song begging for our forgiveness while trying to find the meaning of life." Malcolm answers breathlessly without missing a beat. I blink in surprise; I hadn't expected someone like him to be so willing and ready to respond to me.

"Well!" I say, trying to sound offended but failing since it sounds halfhearted; I'll have to remember to try and 'fix' my sad attitude.

He simply gives a small chuckle and stares intently into the flames. I follow his lead and soon my eyes grow tired of focusing on the constantly moving flames.

"May I please go inside and just rest? This is boring me half to death."

"Go ahead; I'm not stopping you." Something in his tone tells me to stay here or else I'll probably end up paying for it later.

I sit there in the silence and listen as the fire crackles, pops, and hisses. The chirping of crickets is easily heard far off in the distance and I tear my gaze away from the flames to take a look around at least for a second. The forest looks haunting outside of the circle of firelight; their shadows almost like bony hands readying to grab you at any given point in time. I shiver and stare back into the fire, not wanting for my mind to concoct any other horrible idea.

I begin to think about Nasrin and immediately regret it. I feel a pang inside of me and can't help but pity myself. I'm all alone now, and none of this even would have happened if Odin hadn't insisted on infiltrating that damned castle…

As if fearing his ghost had heard my thoughts and come to haunt me, I look around, frightened. His body doesn't pop out anywhere, so I give a small breath of relief. I push all thoughts out of my mind and focus on the fire. My eyes begin to water after a long while of staring deep into it, but I don't turn away. I let it warm my insides and smile at the welcome, warm, tingly sensation. It is much better than feeling nothing.

A gentle tap on my shoulder brings me to my senses and I jump slightly. Malcolm puts his hands up as a gesture of peace and says, "You should go to bed now. It is well past midnight." I instinctively look up at the sky and draw in a breath as if to argue, but let it instead become a wisp of vapor in front of me as I see that he is right.

"Lost track of time…" I mutter as I get up to leave abruptly. Only now do I realize that everyone else has already left. The fire has been reduced to a pile of smoldering embers, giving the small amount of light it is giving off an eerie effect.

"It's easy to do that after trying to keep track of the patterns of the flames for a few hours on end, as you did. You must be exhausted."

I rub my puffy eyes and I can smell the wood smoke in my hair. "I am." I say automatically as I move towards the small hut; my legs feel like lead as I alternately drag them one after the other.

I simply collapse on my bed and fall asleep within minutes; thankfully, exhaustion is the one of the few things that allows me to sleep.

* * *

**Dear Will,**

**I have a girl staying at my cabin around the age of 12, I would guess; it's hard to tell with her.**

**She is a strange case, and I think you would be interested in her. Bring Alyss along as well, if you do decide to come; she might be interested in taking her as an apprentice. I haven't seen much of her, but she certainly seems witty enough to be a courier. She certainly has a look that could be taken as innocence about her.**

**Also, Shadow and Trobar are missing you quite a bit. I don't know how those two could like a person so much; especially one such as yourself.**

**Sincerely,**

**Malcolm**

Malcolm stares down at the letter and nods, a content look on his face. This ought to do.

He walks out the door into the bitter cold of winter to shout, "Trobar!" The giant comes out of the woods after a few seconds, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Would you mind getting this letter to Will?"

At the mention of the Ranger's name the giant perks up immediately, a smile lighting up his misshapen face. He nods vigorously and Malcolm hands him the letter, smiling and shaking his head gently, almost as if he was in disbelief.

"Tell him to be here as soon as possible. We need to get caught up."

* * *

_**Well... I think you guys are really getting fed up with my excuses for not uploading... But if you're interested, this time it was because I had a sore throat, felt nauseous for days on end, had major headaches, and was so freaking tired after just a day at school that I took 3 hour naps along with just regular sleeping. Yea. I'm sick. Again. Darn you, filthy, germ infested school! I knew it was a death trap...**_

_**Btw, if you feel that I'm butchering the original characters please do tell me... I feel like I am and I really don't know for sure, and I really don't enjoy doing OOC's soooo... Help, please?**_

_**Anyways... Please do review. I adore any type of feedback, really.c: Add to alerts, favorite, PM me any suggestions, and don't forget about the poll on my profile. Thanks!**_

_**I'll try to get out of bed over break to upload for you guys, but no major promises.**_

_**See ya!**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"A friend of mine will be coming in a few days, I just got word back from him yesterday."

I look up from my bowl of porridge for a second to stare at Malcolm; uncomprehending.

"What?" I saw slowly.

He laughs a bit, then answers, "I didn't realize that you had gotten head trauma along with that scar. Maybe I should take a second look."

I scowl at my bowl and fall into silence once again. This can't be good.

"His name is Will, and he's going to be bringing his friend Alyss along with him."

My heart skips a beat and my breakfast threatens to come back up again. I'm being irrational; there has to be dozens of Will's in all of Araluen alone. But I have to at least make sure…

I choke down another scoop of the lumpy grains and casually ask, "Is he, by any chance, from Redmont Fief?"

His face lights up slightly at the mention of this information. "Yes, he is actually. Do you, by any chance, know him?"

I think hard for quite a while, scraping up an excuse, and after a few seconds, I finally think of the perfect, blindingly _obvious _excuse. "He's Will _Treaty._ Everyone knows him!" I put on an excited face and try not to falter; lying is one of my best abilities. I can't fail at this now.

"Of course, of course…" He says, realizing it only after I say it. He must have known him before Will became the most famous Ranger in all of Araluen; it's hard to get used to having a famous friend. You always just see them as themselves while everyone else kisses the ground they walk on.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go. I'm feeling… dizzy." Lying on the spot really is one of my better sides. Too bad it doesn't coming along very well for me when I panic.

A concerned look crosses his face and he says, "Do you want me to check to see that everything is okay?"

"No, I think it's just my body's way of responding to a celebrity such as Will Treaty!" I swoon as I slap myself on the inside. I try to keep my meal down for a different reason this time as I hurry back to my room, closing the door behind me. I go through my bag and find that the leaves in my bag are shriveled; useless. I take them out and put them into the pocket of my trousers, careful as to not make a sound. He will think that I'm lying down, not noisily tearing through everything in here.

I find that everything else is fine and decide to stay for a few more days; I'll need to start hoarding food for the next trip. Wherever the roads take me, I know that I won't be happy. I'm not sure that I will be happy until I can finally feel any emotions again…

* * *

_One week later…_

Will carefully read the letter, smiling slightly as he did so. Shadow. Trobar. Malcolm. He couldn't turn the request to visit down. Especially because of this girl Malcolm mentioned…

He took a deep breath and looked around the uniform cabin; not a thing out of place.

Something furry and warm nudges his leg as he sits at the wooden table, and he absentmindedly began to pet Ebony's head as he began to wonder where Alyss could be. She was, indeed, extremely busy these days, but he was sure that she could find some time to visit Malcolm of all people.

These days, they were both extremely busy. They simply couldn't help it- Alyss with her training to soon take over Lady Pauline's place, being called away all of the time and Will living a typical Ranger life. He had to deal with all of the crime in the fief, tracking down that runaway girl, occasionally advising King Duncan… It was exhausting. But he loved it.

"Come on, Eb. We're going to go find Alyss and see if Halt will let us go visit an old friend," he said, finally getting to his feet as Ebony impatiently ran around, trying to get him to hurry. She had recognized Alyss' name, and was eager to go find her now. Will simply shook his head playfully, opened the door, and headed out.

* * *

_A day after __**that**__…_

I run through a mental checklist as I rummage through my small pack, making sure I have enough to last me at least a week, as well as the knife and a spare set of warm clothes. Altogether, the pack didn't weigh very much, but it wasn't something that I wanted to lug around for hours.

I pull back the curtain just to peek outside for a bit and see that there is no sign of life out there; even Malcolm's people must be asleep by now. I believe I have gotten a decent grip on their sleep patterns while observing them for the past week.

"All set," I whisper out of habit, half expecting Nasrin or Odin to answer. Shaking my head I mutter, "Speaking to the dead now, as well as yourself, Tabea? You must be mad."

Being overly cautious, I slowly peel back the curtains and open the window to the freezing cold night air. It might have once nipped at my skin, and it might have once bothered me. But now, I feel nearly nothing, as I have retracted deep into my shell, and I climb out of the window and run into the pitch black Grimsdell Wood, almost hoping to run into that pack of wolves once again.

* * *

**_I'm so sorry for not updating in so long when I promised that I would like a bajillion times. In all honesty, I hit a wall with this story and it was pretty hard to overcome it long enough to write even just this measly chapter for you guys. This doesn't make up for all of the time I've spent away, but hopefully it will be okay with you guys._**

**_Btw, I would never abandon a story. At least, not without warning you guys. I don't plan on abandoning this story, but it will definitely take a while for me to update and write and everything._**

**_It already seems like I've been on hiatus this whole time, but I'll just announce it here and now: I'm on hiatus._**

**_Review, add to alerts, favorite, or PM me any suggestions. (If you had any suggestions AT ALL now would be the time to tell me because I'm drawing a blank slate.)_**

**_Thank you all for being so amazingly patient and just being there, reading this._**

**_See ya.c:_**


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